Loyalties
by AstroKender
Summary: Loyalty is important when facing the dangers of the Grand Line. The difference between life and death loyalty is the last thing you want to fail. Zoro's actions lead the others to question his intentions, especially when he comes after their lives!
1. Chapter One

Title: Loyalties  
Author: AstroKender  
Anime: One Piece  
Pairings: The are no obvious pairings in this fic. Readers are fit to assume whatever pleases them. However, my own preferences may color the story as it moves forward.  
Warnings: PG-13 for violence, language, mild torture and angst.  
Spoilers: Possible spoilers for anyone who may not have seen/read anything up to the Straw Hat's obtaining of their 6th crewmember.  
Notes: Alternate Timeline. Takes place right before the arrival at Alabasta. I have tried to keep the crew as in character as possible, but some artistic licensing may apply in order to forward the plot. I use the metric system in this fic, since this is what predominates in the anime. It's not my normal system of measurement, so forgive my if one of my figures come up off. No Japanese will be involved except for proper names (i.e., Zoro's swords) and Luffy's power move Gomu Gomu (although the essence of the move will be translated, as in: Gomu Gomu no Balloon as opposed to Gomu Gomu no Fuusen). This saves the reader time from having to read any sort of translation notes, and myself the headache of making sure my Japanese is up to snuff. (Which it isn't.) Nami-san will be translated as Miss Nami and so on. I know it sounds weird but try to bear with it   
Feedback: Use the comment bar at the bottom of the screen. Feedback is appreciated, whether good or bad.  
Archived: Ask and ye will probably receive.

Did ya read all that? Make sure now, cause it's the last time you'll see it. The following chapters will start directly into the fic.

Now, let us proceed…

Chapter **One**

_Black Feather_--An island completely covered with marshlands. It contained only one town, bearing the same name, but little else was known about the island and what adventures it held in store for the now infamous Straw Hat Crew.

It sounded just a bit _too_ scary, Usopp had stated as his long nose quivered in fear. The resident handy-man had put up one protest after another since the isle was determined as their next stop by the Log Pose. Usopp knew that it wasn't like they could sail around it or anything – the Grand Line being a bit finicky in that respect—but it didn't hurt anything to suggest it.

Turns out that little suggestion hurt more than Usopp had thought.

The rest of the crew quickly grew tired of his quibbling complains and feeble attempts to sabotage their course with imaginary typhoons and ravenous Sea Kings. Usopp's plea to sail around was the last straw. Nami, who was especially exasperated, finally just tied the sharpshooter up and tossed him below decks.

"We don't really have a choice, now do we?" she had growled out angrily.

Everyone had been on edge since the Eternal Pose pointing the way to Alabasta was accidentally broken during one of the freak storms so inherent to the Grand Line. Distraught, Vivi had locked herself in the cabin she had been sharing with Nami and refused to come out no matter how long Carue had scratched at the door. Zoro and Sanji almost came to blows over whose responsibility it was to secure the barrel that had almost crashed into the princess, causing her to drop the precious navigation tool. Chopper, who was gifted to have a room all to himself, had hidden from the flaring tempers by setting up his new medical office below deck.

And Luffy...well, Luffy was Luffy, but even he seemed to have understood the seriousness of the situation. He had ordered Nami to follow the course her Log Pose had set to during their time in the Drum Kingdom. That course had led them, unluckily or no, to their current destination.

But, contrary to the ominous name, the town of Black Feather seemed pretty normal. Quaint mud and thatch houses perched up on stilt-like supports shoved deep into the soggy ground. The local businesses were all built with sturdy foundations of homemade brick, showing the town was prosperous despite its seclusion in the middle of the Grand Line. The people here were friendly after their initial hesitancy at such a mismatched bunch of companions. And when asked about the island's unusual name, the townsfolk cheerfully explained that the name came from the black marsh birds that could be seen flying through the sky overhead.

The sun had set, signaling that the town's bars were now officially open for business. Both the ale and food flowing freely from the largest pub: Swampwater's Brew. And it was here that the Going Merry crew decided to rest for the night. Wanting to unwind from the strains of sailing the Grand Line, they resolved to make the best of being temporarily stranded on an island that seemed far from their destination.

The Brew was a two story wooden building located near the center of town. The common room was dim and stuffy, flanked by two fireplaces and lit only sparsely with oil lamps. But the pub was filled with the noise of clanking dishes and raucous laughter, making overall feeling of the place friendly, if not somewhat claustrophobic.

The crew, minus Chopper, Vivi and Carue, sat at a long table in the middle of the bar. Chopper, still quite nervous around people, volunteered to guard the ship for the night. Vivi offered to stay with the reindeer, stating that she didn't want to be recognized so close to home. In reality she most likely wanted to lament over the delay that could cost yet more of her people their lives. The remainder of the crew sat in the pub, happily stuffing their faces. All but one seemed blissfully unaware of the desert princess's woe.

Nami was currently pouring over the map she had 'acquired' from Captain Buggy. The navigator believed herself to be partly at fault for the delay, since it was she that had fallen ill on the way to Vivi's homeland. Even though the event had gained them a comrade—who was a doctor to boot-- Nami couldn't help but try to shoulder some of the responsibility for the kingdom of Alabasta's impending peril.

The redhead frowned as she scanned over the map's sketchy details. There were three islands located on the next leg of their journey, and beyond them, the kingdom of Alabasta. Nami was trying to futilely guess which of the three islands the Log Pose would set to and whether any of them would ultimately lead to the desert isle. The townsfolk could not answer this question, since none of them who had left their homeland ever returned.

"Miss Nami, you should eat your food before it gets cold," Sanji cooed as he fluttered over her shoulder, much like an injured bird. Though the others, if they had been paying attention, might compare it more to the traditional dance of the nearly extinct lovesick idiot.

"_Gomu Gomu_ Self Service!" The bar's other patrons looked up in shock as Luffy's arm suddenly stretched across the table and greedy fingers latched onto the full plate. "If you don't want it…" The captain's lips curved upwards hopefully. Even Luffy knew better that to idly steal _Nami's_ food: Not if he wanted to keep his fingers, anyway.

Nami waved her hand in a distracted 'go ahead' motion and Luffy's face split into a wide grin. In a blink of an eye the arm retracted and Nami's plate of food disappeared. Belching loudly, Luffy waved cheerfully to the waitress. "More!"

"And don't skimp so much on the meat," Zoro muttered from beside his captain, his first words spoken since entering the rowdy tavern. He slid his gaze from some point on the far wall to the shell-shocked barmaid, who nodded nervously before fleeing to the kitchen.

"We're really a self sufficient island." She had told them earlier. "Since the only trees that grow here are too gnarled and twisted to make large wooden items, we can build no boats to travel with. What you see here," she had gestured to the mismatched planks of wood that formed the bar's walls. "Was made mostly from the scraps of shipwrecks that have washed up on our isle."

Grunting, Zoro snapped back to the present and turned his attention to his comrades. He frowned when a quick mental count came up one short.

"Where'd Usopp go?" he asked.

Currently licking all their dishes clean of any molecule of food, Luffy pointed wordlessly behind them. Arching his brow, Zoro glanced back where indicated only to snort with a sort of amused disgust. Usopp was standing on a chair in a far corner of the room. The sharpshooter was surrounded by a group of rowdy men as harangued them with one of his boastful, and largely untrue, stories. Now that he was paying attention Zoro could hear Usopp's nasally voice filtering past the general hue and cry of the pub.

"And there I was, arms and legs tied up tight with chains that had to weigh fifty--no a hundred kilos. I knew they were going to kill me so I drew my sword and charged—"

"Wait!" One man sputtered drunkenly. "How'd ya pull out yer sword if you were tied up?" The other men murmured in agreement. It seemed as though they weren't quiet drunk enough for Usopp. Zoro could see the boy's knees shaking even from across the room.

"Uhhh…I didn't explain that part?" A large bead of sweat dripped down the side of the 'Brave Warrior's' face as Usopp noticed the mood of the crowd darkening. His eyes cast about the room desperately, racking his brain for something—anything-- to tell his doubting audience. Usopp's eyes locked with a now glaring Zoro's and a light seemed to flicker over his head. With a relieved sigh, he turned back to the men.

"I used my teeth!" He exclaimed with his chest puffed out proudly. Behind him, the former pirate hunter nearly fell out of his chair in outraged surprise.

Rolling up the map with a frustrated sigh, Nami rose from the table. "We should turn in. The people here say it takes almost two days for the Log Pose to set. Since we're stuck here, we should use that time to rest up and restock on supplies." She pulled an errant lock of hair behind her ear, making no move to cover her tired yawn. "Come one Sanji; Luffy."

"Yes Miss Nami!" Sanji crowed as he rose quickly to his feet. Across from him, a large frown imbedded itself upon their captain's face.

"No," Luffy pouted. "I want more food!"

Nami's teeth suddenly seemed a lot sharper as she loomed over Luffy. "You'll get a fat lip!" She threatened, tugging him out of his chair and towards the stairway.

Since the Swampwater's Brew also housed an inn, Nami had graciously 'lent' them the money to rent rooms for the night. Eager to enjoy a real bed instead of the course web of a swinging hammock, the others agreed to bunk together to avoid double the pain of the navigator's ridiculous interest rates. So Nami had booked three rooms and even provided money for their dinner on the promise that her generosity would be returned to her doubled.

"If I left you alone down here, you'd get into trouble and you know it!" Nami argued her point as she tugged a protesting Luffy from his seat. "For once I want to leave a town without having to run for my life! Zoro, Grab Usopp!" she barked out from the bottom of the stairs. A smirking Sanji followed in her wake, giving a helpful kick now and then to keep their whining captain moving forward.

"I'm already on my way!" Usopp squeaked out as he shot past Zoro, leaving in his wake a trail of drunk and angry men who were apparently not humored by his stories.

"Amazing how he has that effect on people." Zoro muttered to himself as he casually placed his hand on his treasured sword, _Wadou_. The angry mob suddenly disappeared with an audible synchronized gulp.

Zoro smirked and turned back to the table to drain his tankard of ale, determined not to judge its quality on the pub's name alone. But upon lowering his mug, the smile had disappeared from his face. Zoro glared straight ahead at the same wall he had stared at all evening, as he stiffly addressed the figure sitting in the shadows to his right.

"You've been watching me all night," Zoro nonchalantly pointed out. "You like what you see?"

"That remains to be seen Pirate Hunter, Roronoa Zoro." a sepulchral voice intoned. "Won't you sit down?" A pale hand, its sharp nails glistening in the lamplight, gestured to an adjacent seat.

It seemed to Zoro's imagination that the lights dimmed as his boots made a slow but steady trek across the room. Patrons, once laughing, now stared into their mugs silently. Partying revelers suddenly decided to take their celebrations elsewhere. Even the pub's workers seemed to disappear through the back door.

"I ain't a pirate hunter anymore." Zoro growled out, but nevertheless slowly took the proffered chair. His sharp eyes quickly took in everything about the figure across from him. If this guy was a potential threat, the Going Merry's first mate was determined to snuff him out as quickly as possible.

Long greasy hair covered a sallow face bearing cat-like eyes that glowed from sunken sockets. Black nails clicked together as the man wiggled his fingers. Zoro couldn't tell if it was from nervousness or excitement. Overall the man gave him the impression of a snake slithered freshly out from the swamps.

"Of course, of course. But some jobs are hard to quit, true?" the dark-haired man stated, a sly smile pasted to his face.

"What do you want?" Zoro asked with narrowed eyes. His hand hovered near his swords, ready—and even somewhat eager-- for a possible confrontation.

"Impatient, are we?" Laughter caused the man's bony shoulders to shake from underneath the long coat he wore-- one that seemed about three sizes too big. "Very well. I will indulge you in your childishness. I have a job for you."

"Not interested." Zoro was already sick of the conversation and had half a mind to gut the man no matter what his intentions just for the child comment. The swordsman started to rise from his seat when he felt something hard pressed against the middle of his back. The click of a pistol's hammer resounded through the air.

The man's smile turned sinister as his lackeys surrounded the swordsman. It seemed that the majority of the bar's customers were here for more than drink and merriment, Zoro noted. He cursed himself for only just noticing that the bar was now empty except for his new 'friends'. There were about ten of them, as near as Zoro could tell without turning around. It was a number he could take care of easily, probably without even breaking a sweat. But he was reluctant to turn his back on what he perceived to be the larger threat. Something about the man before him didn't sit well with the former pirate hunter.

A quick poke to the back brought Zoro's attention back to the situation at hand and he slowly retook his seat. "Using force won't help you," Zoro grinned darkly as he surreptitiously loosened his swords from their sheaths. "I'm known to be very stubborn. And you are definitely underestimating me if you think a few maggots with firearms will change my mind."

"Let's jest shoot 'im, Mr. Uragi." A man, presumably the one holding the pistol, pleaded. "We don't need no upstart punk like 'im."

"You're wrong." Uragi's slitted eyes never left Zoro, whose own eyes narrowed as he felt something slide past his foot. "We need him very much. This job would be quite messy without him." Uragi eyes flicked over his man disdainfully. "I highly _doubt_ a backwater punk like you would survive it."

Hearing a choked gasp, Zoro fought the urge to turn around as the gun barrel slid from his back and something heavy fell past him, rebounding off the floorboards. "He's dead," one henchman whispered in shock. The other goons behind him murmured fearfully.

"Know that I underestimate no one." Uragi pointed out with a mild frown. "I've done quiet a bit of research on you and I'd like to pride myself on knowing how you think. It could only be fate that brought you to my island, after all. Lady Luck's way of saying we are destined to become partners."

"I'll ask you again," Zoro's face was grim. "What do you want?"

Uragi's fingers wiggled about once more, creating that same irritating clicking noise that was beginning to grate on Zoro's nerves. Uragi's lanky frame rose from his seat, showing himself to be taller than even Zoro. His men backed away in fear as he slowly made his way around the table. The man's teeth shined in the darkness as he stood before Zoro, grinning like a cat that caught the canary.

"It quite simple really. As a fellow bounty hunter, I only want you to help me hunt some pirates."

"Who?" Zoro demanded, not liking where this topic was heading. Sweat began to bead across his brow and warning lights flashed frantically in his head.

"Your friends of course. I'm sure no one knows their fighting skills better than you."

"Forget it, Shithead." Zoro jumped to his feet and went to draw his swords as his fighting instincts quickly overrode his shock. But A surprisingly strong hand had wrapped itself around his throat even before he could touch the hilts.

"Don't be so hasty, Roronoa." Uragi smiled pleasantly as his hand tightened its grip. "I'd be willing to share the reward money with you. Sixty million beli just for the captain of the Straw Hat crew is definitely nothing to sneeze at."

"Go to hell." Zoro gasped out as he quelled the urge to claw at the hand clasping his throat. His pride demanded that he prove that he would not buckle under a little intimidation. It was that pride that usually got him into trouble. A little voice in his head reminded him that it would only take about seven kilos of pressure to snap his neck, but Zoro wasn't going to let that fact stop him. He'd find out as much about this guy's plan as he could before he filleted the lot of them.

"And as an added bonus," Uragi continued as if he hadn't heard the green haired man's obscenity. "I have this rare sword I'd be willing to part with." One of his lackeys stepped into view, a gleaming sword held up in both hands.

"Its name is _Seigi Shihai no Ken_. The Ruling Sword of Justice. It is the companion to your katana, _Wadou Ichimonji_, I believe." Uragi took the sword and held it reverently before Zoro's eyes. "How about it? Will you help me?" The hand around Zoro's throat constricted, cutting of his air supply.

Zoro kicked out suddenly; Causing Uragi to stumble backwards and his breaking his grip on the swordsman's neck, though not without leaving a deep scratch from the man's long nails. In a blink of an eye Zoro's three swords were drawn and ready for battle. The sharp tip of _Yubashiri_ came to rest mere millimeters from Uragi's nose.

"I think you have my answer." Zoro spoke between teeth clenched around the white hilt of Wadou.

Shadows hid the man's eyes as dusted the bootprint from his chest. "Tsk, tsk. That is a pity. I guess I don't have a choice then…." Uragi's head shot up, his face suddenly loosing its pleasant façade. His right hand clenched around Seigi Shihai and he charged forward with the blade aloft.

It took only seconds for Zoro to realize that Uragi wasn't just fighting for show. The man had skill. Although Zoro outnumbered him by two blades, Uragi was defending himself almost nonchalantly. Their blades hissed and sung as the struck against one another, creating sparks of friction when their owners used too much force.

Zoro suddenly saw an opening and did not hesitate to use it. Sandai Kitetsu lashed out like a snake as it sliced down on the Uragi's sword arm, severing it from his body. But Uragi seemed undeterred as his left hand struck out, those black nails digging deep into the scratch on Zoro's neck.

The pirate jerked himself backwards and he drew his swords back in the most powerful swing he could muster in such close quarters. His katanas sliced crossways through Uragi's torso and just before Zoro was thrown to the floor by his own momentum.

Cries of outrage filled the empty room. Uragi's men raised their guns and prepared to unload their muskets into the pirate's body before Zoro could regain his feet. But, an eerie, mocking laugh stopped all movement on both sides.

"Poor Roronoa," Uragi stood before him, whole and unharmed. "You are the one who underestimated me. You should show more respect to one who has eaten the _Doku Doku_ Fruit."

"You've eaten a Devil's Fruit?" Zoro blurted out involuntarily as his fists clenched around his swords. The green-haired man stubbornly tried to ignore the sudden burning sensation in his neck. "Are you a member of Baroque Works?" he demanded.

The dark-haired man let out another high-pitched laugh. "Those idealistic fools? No. I like to work for someone more grounded." He flashed an evil grin. "Like myself."

Uragi's face turned serious once more as he squatted before the green-haired man. "Now listen closely, Roronoa. Those who have eaten the Doku Doku Fruit find themselves being able to turn into liquid at will." To prove his point, his hand dissolved into a viscous black fluid before turning into an ordinary hand once more.

"I've heard of that trick before." Zoro snorted and glanced away pointedly. "I'm not very impressed."

"That's not all, Swordsman." The man hissed. "That liquid happens to be a very powerful poison. Meaning I don't even need to bear a weapon in order to kill." He tossed the sword, Seigi Shihai, back to one of his men before continuing his lecture. "I can control my own toxicity, believe it or not. For instance, I can make a man's death quick," he glanced back at his man who had fallen so mysteriously earlier. By the expression frozen on the man's face, Zoro guessed that he died in a considerable amount of pain. "Or I can make it very, very slow." Uragi whispered gleefully as he wiped the trickle of blood from Zoro's neck in a languorous motion.

Eyes wide, Zoro's hand flew up to a long scratch along the side of his neck. The burning he felt earlier flared up in answer. "Y-you—" he stuttered. Even his stoic demeanor floundered in the face of the prospect of such a horrific death.

"Yes. I gave you a little taste of my power. By the time your crew is ready to set out to the next island, you will be dead. That is, unless you agree to help me. You see, I can also create the antidote for your recent malady."

Damn it, Zoro cursed silently as stared at the floorboards, a deep frown etched on his face. Even now he could feel the poison coursing through his system, making the left side of his body throb with pain. This was not something he had ever planned for. This was not something he had ever planned for. He didn't have a clue about what to do in such a situation. How do you fight what you can't cut?

If he refused outright, there would be no doubt that Uragi would shoot him with more of that poison stuff and kill him just as quick as he had his lackey. On the other hand, the price fore his life was probably higher than he was willing to pay. The serpent-like man would then probably switch his focus upstairs after Zoro's swift disposal, to where the swordsman's unknowing shipmates were resting, completely clueless of any danger.

"What do you want me to do?" he finally choked out, silently berating himself for his own weakness.

"Kill the Straw Hat's three friends and lure the captain himself into the swamplands just south of town."

Zoro's eyes narrowed at the request but he forced himself to remain cool headed. "What about Luffy?" he asked. "You gonna try to poison him too? Because I'll tell you now he's won't be that easy to get rid of." Zoro spoke with pride.

"I'm quite aware of your captain's rubber-like abilities." Uragi stood and tossed something at Zoro's feet. It resembled an ordinary iron musket except for a razor-sharp arrowhead jutting out from one side. "That's why I created these bullets. I'm positive they'll pierce through even his stringy hide. A nice long distance killing-- no mess, no danger to myself. And with you to take care of the other riffraff of a crew that bounty is as good as ours. I still want you as a partner so you'll of course get half the money. As long as you do your part, Zoro, we will both come out healthy and rich."

The Going Merry's First Mate picked up the sharp-tipped bullet and tried to swallow past a suddenly dry throat. "What if I refuse?" he asked, his eyes gaining a glint of defiance. Zoro's swords were no defense against something as insubstantial as water. But his stubbornness had always been stronger than his logic. He would fight with a sponge if he had to.

"Well, you'll be dead of course."

"Fine." Zoro muttered as he pulled his bandanna from his arm and tied the black cloth onto his head. "Kill me then, if you think you can." He dared the man gruffly.

"Then I'll kill your friends." The bounty hunter added, making Zoro freeze in his tracks as he the man just blithely stated the green-haired man's foremost fear. "Such a quiet island like this…I bet they are in their beds now, completely at ease. It would take only a few seconds to overpower them. And believe me, their deaths will be much nastier than the mercy-killings you could bring them." Uragi eyes flashed with undisguised malice. "I'd keep them alive as long as possible while sending them to the Marines piece by piece!" he sneered.

Zoro wracked his brain for any feasible way out but he couldn't think. His head pounded from the poison and his hand balled into a fist, causing the bullet to cut painfully into his skin. He regretted not mentioning the watching eyes during dinner. Even a man made of poison would be no match against all of them, which is why he wanted Zoro's help. But now it was too late. Without proper warning, the possibility of one or more of his comrades falling to this slimy prick was too high to bet against. And there was the matter of Zoro's own life. He definitely wasn't willing to up and die just yet. He still had a promise to fulfill.

The swordsman cursed his own selfish stupidity as his shoulders slumped in defeat.

"I'll do it." He whispered.

"Excellent!" Uragi smiled triumphantly as he clapped the pirate jovially on the back. "You will of course excuse me for putting a timetable on things but, you have only until sundown tomorrow. Lure your captain to the border of the south marshes—that is close to where your ship is docked-- and my men and I will take care of the rest."

Zoro nodded wordlessly, his eyes never rising from the floor. The swordsman watched dully as the boots of Uragi's henchmen strode towards the exit, the body of their dead comrade dragging along behind. Not even an overturned chair existed to indicate any sign of the previous struggle.

"Oh, and Zoro?" Uragi, the last to reach the doorway, paused as if he had forgotten something.

"Yeah?" For some reason Zoro had trouble recognizing his own voice.

"Don't forget to bring the bodies."

And then Zoro was alone. He sat there, unmoving, for what seemed like an eternity before trembling hands sheathed his katanas and pocketed the deadly bullet. The pirate released a shuddering sigh and picked himself up from the floor just as Sanji poked his head down the stairs.

"Meathead! Why haven't you come up yet? You causing trouble? Nami told—Hey, where did everybody go?" Sanji's cigarette dangled from his mouth, as he looked this way and that for the pub's missing patrons. Seeing Zoro's troubled face, he frowned. "What's wrong?"

Zoro quickly schooled his face into a neutral expression as he walked towards the stairs. "Nothing."

"You sure?" the blonde asked, doubt lacing his voice.

"Mind your own business, you shitty cook." Zoro growled as he shoved past him. "Now which one's my room?"

"Asshole." The cook pointed with his cigarette to a door on the left side of the hallway. "You're with Luffy since both you and him snore enough to wake the dead." He took a drag as he watched the swordsman with narrowed eyes.

"Thanks," Zoro muttered as his made his way down the corridor. Shrugging, the cook stubbed out his smoke. Zoro's business was Zoro's business, he supposed.

"Night, you bastard." Sanji called out before entering the room he shared with Usopp. Zoro stepped into his own room without replying.

Slumping against the other side of the door, Zoro's eyes clenched shut as he rubbed the scratch on his neck. Bring the bodies, Uragi had said. The swordsman was suddenly filled with self-loathing. Did he really value his own life that much?

One eye cracked open as he heard Luffy stir. His captain lay sprawled out on the tiny room's only bed. Nami was such a cheap bitch. The swordsman betted that all of them could have slept comfortably in the bed she must have been lying in. An iron shackle chained the rubber man's leg to one of their bed's iron posts, undoubtedly also the redhead's doing.

Drawing Wadou, Zoro walked silently towards his friend. A swift downward stroke was all it took.

The chain slithered to the floor with a dull clank. "Thanks Zoro…dinna wanna break the bed…nice, comfy bed…." Luffy murmured before seamlessly falling back into the depths of sleep. In no time his snores once more filled the room.

Zoro wordlessly removed his other swords and placed them to the side of the bed. Scooting his captain over, the swordsman lay down beside him, not even protesting when Luffy rolled over and cuddled against him as if he were an oversized teddy bear. Zoro just stared up at the ceiling, trying desperately to keep the stoic expression plastered to his face as he tried to piece together his shattered resolutions.

By sundown tomorrow, one of them would die.

oooooooo

Doku Doku Fruit : The only translation I'll give—it translates to, unimaginatively enough, the Poison Poison Fruit.


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter **Two**

It wasn't fair. This was not how things were supposed to go. Damn it! He was supposed to die in battle, as a warrior. He wasn't supposed to waste away…dying in a puddle of his own piss and vomit….

No!

That's not how it's going to happen! He wouldn't let it! He had a promise; to be the greatest, and an oath; not to lose. He had a destiny, one that lay at the end of the Grand Line. He had to battle—to beat—that man. He had to do it for himself, for his captain…for Kuina….

A heavy weight pressing atop his chest called Zoro back from the depths of sleep. His eyes snapped open only to see a giant ear surrounded by an unruly mass of black hair not a scant centimeter from his face. Zoro sat up with a start, dislodging Luffy's cross-legged perch upon his chest. The rubber-man fell to the floor, a startled noise erupting from his throat.

"What the hell were you doing?" Zoro growled out as he tried to calm his racing heart.

Luffy leaned up against the bed as he propped his head up with his hands. "You were talking in your sleep," he stated innocently. "I've never seen you do that before so I wanted to hear what you said."

"What was I saying?" Zoro asked reluctantly as he rubbed his face in exhaustion. It felt as if he didn't get a minute's worth of sleep. Judging by the sunlight streaming in through the room's small window, the pirate knew he had to have gotten at least a good couple of hours. But still he felt inexplicably drained.

But if the lure of sleep threatened to drag him back down towards the lumpy excuse for a bed, Luffy's next words snapped him back awake.

Lips pursed, his captain made a show of thinking. "Something about Mihawk and dying. I didn't catch it all." Luffy blinked himself back into the present. "Did you have a nightmare?"

"I don't remember," Zoro lied as he avoided his captain's earnest gaze. "I must've."

"Nightmares can't hurt you," Luffy smiled encouragingly as he rose from the floor and dusted himself off. "So don't worry about 'em. Let's go get some breakfast before Nami pays off the tab."

Zoro allowed a small smirk to slip over his face. "All right. You go on and I'll be down in a minute."

"Don't be too long or I'll eat it all." Luffy's tease had a serious edge to it as he walked out, closing the door behind him.

Scratching his head, Zoro rose to his feet with a mighty yawn and almost fell over again as a wave of dizziness crashed over him. The room was swaying about violently. Zoro grabbed hold of the bedpost as the strength seemed to leech out from his muscles. Holding on tightly until the weakness in his legs passed, Zoro frowned darkly at his own condition. It seemed nightmares could be real after all.

As if to reinforce this thought, Zoro reached over for his swords and found an unwelcome surprise. Nestled between Sandai Kitetsu and Yubashiri was a third katana--and it _wasn't_ Wadou. The pirate quickly recognized the bright blue hilt as the one that was shown to him last night, Seigi Shihai.

Zoro hissed in anger and snatched the swords up. Wadou was nowhere to be seen. They had touched his sword…_Kuina's_ sword. Zoro buckled the scabbards onto his belt with swift, jerky motions as dark thoughts stormed through his head. New ways of killing were invented on the spot as the swordsman silently raged about this new development.

As his hand brushed against the hilt of the unfamiliar katana, a small slip of paper fell from it and fluttered to the floor. Scowling, The swordsman bent down carefully to retrieve it, mindful of his new state of unbalance. Zoro scanned the letter's contents before crumpling the paper into a ball and tossing it at the far wall with a curse.

'_Here is Seigi Shihai, as per our agreement. And just to make sure you do not have any second thoughts, I will hold Wadou Ichimonji until the job is finished.'_

"If he wanted to piss me off, he's doing a hell of a job." Zoro growled.

The cold realization of how easily the intruders entered their room, without either Luffy or himself noticing, hit his stomach like an iron weight. Uragi could have chosen to finish either of them off as they slept, Zoro realized. The bounty hunter's game was definitely getting serious.

The time had come for Roronoa Zoro to get serious in return, the swordsman resolved.

The voices of his comrades could be heard clearly as he walked down the stairs and into the common room. It seemed as though Nami was berating their captain for his unauthorized breakfast, Sanji was yelling at Luffy for angering the navigator and Usopp was lamenting his own lack of a morning meal. All three looked up as Zoro approached the table.

Luffy broke into a chagrined grin as the swordsman's eyes swept over the sparkling clean plates. Zoro raised one green eyebrow in question.

"We got busted." Luffy explained apologetically. "I only got one course down before Nami stopped me." He shot a wounded look at the redhead, who looked ready to pummel the captain. Luffy's expression brightened however as he reached into his vest. "I did save you some though!" He crowed proudly as he held aloft a badly abused muffin.

Zoro's normally cast iron stomach did a three-sixty at the thought of digesting the lint-covered pastry and he waved it away with a sickly grin. "It seems I'm not very hungry after all."

Luffy shrugged and tossed the muffin into the air, his mouth opening wide. A swift hand snatched up the breakfast item before it reached its destination, however. And soon Usopp and Luffy were rolling around on the barroom floor as they fought for possession of the small morsel of food.

"Don't come running to me for lunch then, Cabbage-head." Sanji warned as he passively regarded the battle before him. "I won't feed you no matter how much you beg." He taunted as he lit up yet another cigarette.

For once Zoro didn't have the energy to make his usual biting reply. He turned his attention to a fuming Nami. "I'm going back to the ship for a bit." His deep voice rose easily above the screaming. "I'll check on Vivi and Chopper while I'm there."

The navigator nodded with a relieved sigh. "I still have to buy supplies and I wasn't sure if I could make it back there." She explained. "Try to convince Vivi to get off the ship for a bit. As shallow as it sounds, maybe some shopping will take her mind off things."

Zoro nodded casually. "I'll see what I can do."

"Let's all meet back here at around lunch time." Nami announced to the group. "Not that I'm gonna pay for any more food or anything." she added quickly.

"Got ya." Zoro turned away, ignoring Sanji's warnings about stepping into his kitchen. Food was the last thing on his mind.

oooooooo

"Poison?" Chopper echoed. "Why do you ask?"

Zoro paced the small cabin restlessly, trying to figure out how best to broach the subject without giving anything away. The swordsman was never good at this sort of evasive talking—such a thing was best left to people like Nami. So, with a deep breath Zoro did what he would normally. He intimidated.

"That's none of your business, reindeer." Zoro did his best to loom over the innocent Chopper, though the jittery feeling just under his skin made him want to scratch his arms raw. His throat felt dry and full of grit, and his nose burned as if he had taken a giant whiff of Nami's perfume. In short, he felt like shit. "Just answer the question."

"Yes, I know something about poisons." The reindeer's eyes drooped with sadness until they noticed the impatient expression on his crewman's face. Chopper pulled his hat down over his head nervously. "Well, it all depends on what kind of poison it is. Many types are unique and a different type of detoxification is often used for each one. But most of them involve some sort of antidote derived from the actual poison itself."

"Great." Zoro rubbed his eyes tiredly. "So, without this anti-stuff?"

"Unless treated properly, the person could die." Chopper replied sadly. Seeing the grim look on the swordsman's face, the doctor quickly amended his statement. "Though not always. Sometimes you can dilute the effects with plenty of fluids and an infusion of charcoal."

"Infusion?" Zoro's eyebrows rose towards his hairline. "You mean like eating it?"

"Something like that." Chopper laughed nervously. He got the feeling that technical speak would be lost on a man like Zoro. "Charcoal kind of absorbs the poison. It's a last ditch effort that has only a small success rate. It just depends on the poison's toxicity." Mostly it's just a way to prolong a patient's suffering for a small hope that a cure would be found, the doctor thought to himself grimly.

"Oh, it's toxic enough." Chopper's ears easily picked up Zoro's soft mutter. Swallowing his fear, the small reindeer spoke up.

"Is someone sick?" he asked, forcing his voice not to waver too badly. "I know you said that it was none of my business, but if someone is ill I would like to help."

Zoro paced the floor for long moments without answering, his boots echoing loudly across the wooden planks. The swordsman paused in front of the doctor and seemed to come to a decision. Chopper's eyes widened as Zoro crouched before him, his hand engulfing one of the reindeer's small shoulders. The first mate's eyes were red and bloodshot, Chopper noted with clinical detachment. He was about to offer up some medicated drops when Zoro spoke.

"If you had a sample of the poison, could you make a cure?" Zoro's eyes shone with their usual intensity despite their obvious irritation.

Chopper almost started into a lecture about uncertainties and time frames, but for once he cast his professional opinion out the proverbial porthole and simply nodded. Zoro squeezed his shoulder gently and rose to his feet, a new purpose to his steps. Casting his eyes across the makeshift medical room he picked up a small empty vial.

"You got a cork for this?" Zoro waved the test tube over his shoulder. Brimming with curiosity, Chopper produced one from one of his many unpacked boxes and wordlessly handed it over. Zoro slipped the vial into his haramaki and headed for the door, yet stopped short as Chopper spoke.

"That cut on your neck looks infected." The reindeer called out. "Would you like me to treat it?"

Zoro glanced back at his newest crewmate. "It's nothing. You've already helped me enough." He said with his lips upturned in a nearly invisible smile. "Thank you, Chopper."

As he stepped through the door he bumped into Vivi, almost knocking her over. The Alabasta princess stumbled backwards with a squeak of surprise. "Mr. Bushido! You startled me." She exclaimed with her hand held over her racing heart.

"Sorry." Zoro muttered as he squeezed past her and into the ship's small corridor. He headed for the steps without another word. Frowning, Vivi grabbed the back of his shirt. "Wait! Is everyone okay?"

"They're fine." Zoro pulled his shirt from her grasp and continued walking. About halfway up the stairs he paused. "But," he added as an afterthought. "There might be trouble so you and Chopper should stay below deck."

Vivi bit back an uncharacteristic retort in response to the swordsman's oh-so-casual attitude. "If there's trouble, I want to help." She stated firmly.

"Just stay out of sight and you'll be helping enough." Zoro called back as he disappeared into the harsh light pouring in from the outside. Vivi stomped her foot in a petulant display of vexation unusual for her, before sighing as she made her way into Chopper's cabin. She felt the need for some company despite her self-inflicted isolation.

Zoro hopped off the ship and walked over the sand dune that separated the coast from the inland, retracing his steps towards the main section of town. Black Feather's proximity to the surrounding wetlands caused it to bear a constant high humidity, keeping temperatures at a peak of about 30 degrees Celsius. The sweltering heat weighted heavily upon him as he forced himself to drag each foot further across the uneven layers of sand that made up the main road.

The acrid odor somewhat like sulfur permeated the air; making Zoro's already inflamed olfactory organs even more irritated. He winced as a few harsh sneezes forced their way out in response to the unwelcome stimuli. The swordsman's head pounded in time with his heartbeat like a war-drum. And the only thought running through his mind at this point was about how bloody _thirsty_ he was.

With a great sigh, Zoro took refuge in the small band of shade cast by a nearby building and wiped the sweat from his brow. The swordsman leaned against the rough brickwork and glanced about in frustration as he tried to figure out which way led back to the inn. While his questing eyes did not immediately find the crew's meeting place, Zoro did spot something infinitely better to his fevered mind.

Zoro stumbled his way over to a fountain located in a small cul-de-sac between buildings. The large copper structure was green with age and the carvings upon it were too moss-covered to tell what they depicted. But the water flowed freely from its uppermost basin and was cool to the touch. Before he knew it, the swordsman found himself dunking his head into the fountain's somewhat murky depths.

After several large gulps of the slightly bitter tasting liquid, Zoro rose up for air, shaking water from his head as if he were a dog. He blinked owlishly as he noticed the large amount of spectators staring at him.

"_What?_" the green-haired man demanded.

Most of the villagers hastily went back about to what they were doing. But one passerby remained. A young girl of about seven twisted her skirt about shyly as she spoke.

"That fountain _isn't_ for drinking," she explained as she batted her brown eyes at him demurely. Seeing the pirate's frown, she scuffed her toe in the dirt as she continued in a small voice. "The water is tapped in from Cormorant Swamp and isn't good to drink."

Zoro leaned back with a stretch and disparaging laugh. "What's it gonna do, kill me?"

"It could make you sick." The young girl offered.

"I'm already sick." Zoro muttered.

"Oh." Not old enough to know how to deal with such an awkward situation, the girl turned to leave. But Zoro stopped her with a word.

"What's a Cormorant?"

The young girl pointed silently to the black marsh birds that were swooping and diving over their heads. Zoro grunted lightly in acknowledgment and pushed himself to his feet. Dusting the moss off his knees, the swordsman tilted his head back towards the sun, mentally gauging the time. He glanced back at the little girl with a crooked grin.

"One more question. Which way to Swampwater's Brew?"

oooooooo

Sanji lounged carelessly across a chair in the main room of the Brew. His errand of restocking their food supply had been finished earlier than expected and the cook now found himself killing time until the others returned. Nestled in a far corner of the Brew's walk in refrigerator were sacks filled to the brim with rice, freshwater fish, and various crustaceans. A little sweet-talking was all it took to borrow the storage place until their return back to the ship tomorrow.

Thinking of the Going Merry caused Sanji's mind to wander to their local desert princess as the blonde slowly nursed a cup of coffee. Coffee was his one guilty pleasure, rarely indulged because Zeff had always complained that it killed the taste buds, something a cook needed to judge the quality of the food being served. But Sanji had managed to sneak a cup now and then when all the other chefs were asleep. Sipping the bitter brew, he wondered casually how Vivi was doing. It was a shame for such a beautiful lady to be sad.

Drumming his fingered on the table, the blonde repressed a sigh of boredom. It seems he had gotten used to the chaos that seemed to constantly follow in his companions' wake. Without them around, things were too dull. Sanji briefly fostered the idea of hunting down whatever clothing store Nami was in and help her pick out a few new outfits. And maybe catch a glimpse of her behind the changing curtain, he thought with a smirk.

As if the lecherous grin was a signal, the redhead currently dwelling on his mind stepped through the barroom door, a pitifully small sack in her hand. Huffing in frustration, Nami slumped in a chair across from Sanji, who quickly ordered her a cool drink. Chin in her hand, Nami was too bummed to even offer thanks.

"These villagers don't know the first thing about fashion. All they had were smocks, smocks and more smocks. And such plain colors!" She blew her bangs out of her eyes with a sigh. "At least I found more ink and parchment, though the quality is definitely poorer than I'm used to."

"Tell me about it." A nasally voice resounded behind her. Sanji lit up an after-coffee cigarette as he watched Usopp flop bonelessly into the chair next to him. The sharpshooter pulled the goggles off his eyes and tossed them onto the table. "They never even heard of Tabasco sauce!" He complained. "I had to make do with plain, ordinary pepper."

Sanji's eyes brightened at the mentioned spice. "Pepper? Were running low on pepper. Can I have some?"

"Depends." Usopp's eyes got a crafty look on them. "What will you give me?"

"I feed you, bastard! What more do you want?"

"One of those little desserts you're always making Nami." A trail of drool began to slow drip down Usopp's chin.

"Forget it!" Sanji exploded. "Those desserts are made with effort and love specifically for Miss Nami!"

"Ch. Stingy Love Cook." Usopp crossed his arms and turned away.

"Hey," Nami spoke up. "Where's Luffy? I thought he was supposed to be with you." She pointed to Usopp accusingly.

The boy's long nose swiveled left and right as he turned about in confusion. "I could have sworn he was right behind me when we were coming in. Where could he—"

"Zorooooooo!" The trio jumped to their feet in surprise.

Listening intently they heard a sound quite like the twang of a rubber band, followed by a thud of two hard surfaces colliding. Muttered curses filtered past their ears and the companions grinned as they returned to their seats. It seemed Zoro had found their wayward captain. Or was it the other way around?

"I really wish you wouldn't do that." Zoro groaned as he dragged himself through the doorway all the while trying to pry four stringy limbs from his neck and waist.

Luffy's head popped over the swordsman's shoulder, the infamous straw hat poking him in the eye. "But I missed Zoro!" the captain exclaimed.

"He was gone less than three hours." Sanji muttered around his smoke.

"Probably wanted money for food." Usopp snickered

"Zoro's the wrong person to go to for that." Nami smirked.

"All right, knock it off, all of you." Zoro growled as he pulled Luffy off him and plunked the rubber boy into the nearest chair. Wincing, he slowly lowered himself into the chair next to him.

Sanji noticed the deliberate movements with a raised eyebrow. "Something wrong, Cabbage Head?"

Zoro spared him the briefest of glances as he half-heartedly listened to Luffy's adventures in swampland. "I just got tackled. How would you feel?"

"_Poor_ Zoro, did it really hurt that badly?" Sanji taunted. "Or maybe the only thing injured was your pride?" The blonde's grin widened as Usopp tried desperately to restrain a snicker. Egged on by this, he continued. "Sorry, but pride's one thing none of us can kiss better."

"Shut _up_." Zoro slammed his fist on the table.

Usopp's laughter cut off abruptly and Sanji's mouth shut closed with a snap. _' What was his problem?'_ the cook wondered bitterly. Eyes narrowed, he studied the man across from him as he thoughtfully scratched at the hairs on his chin.

Sanji liked to think he understood his relationship with the stoic swordsman. In fact, it was much like that of which he had with the cooks on the Baratie. Tough Love, he called it. A man to man, testosterone fueled friendship. All bluff and bluster. It was something comfortable he could fall back on during all of the craziness of the new changes in his life. But the man in front of him didn't seem like the man that he traded taunts with just two days ago. In fact, Zoro had been acting weird ever since they had landed on this isolated island.

Usopp had noticed it too, apparently. The sharpshooter had mentioned the fact as they readied for sleep the night before. Even now Usopp was carefully avoiding looking in Zoro's direction, as a small frown graced his normally jovial face.

"--anji. Sanji. SANJI!"

The blonde irritably slapped the hand that was tugging on his ear. "What?"

Luffy sat on the table in before him, eyes wide and begging. "Fix me some food. Nami won't buy anymore."

Stubbing his cigarette out, Sanji heaved a sigh of resignation and stood. "I'll see if the owners will let me use the kitchen." He stated, earning a cheer from Luffy.

Sanji noticed a girl dragging the ashes from the fireplace and stepped over for a brief word. The girl dusted the soot from her hands and pointed to a room in the back and the blonde thanked her with a bow before disappearing through the aforementioned door.

The serving girl was still fighting off a blush from being addressed by such a suave gentleman when one of his companions approached her.

"Is there any charcoal in that mess?" he asked.

Despite the man's intimidating look, the girl forced herself to give him a tremulous smile. "W-well, sir, our fireplaces don't get very hot, but I'm sure there is some in here." She gestured to the pan of ashes. "I-I have to take it out back and dump it, but I can sift through it first if you'd like."

"I would be grateful." The man smiled and suddenly seemed less intimidating. Giving a low and clumsy curtsy, the girl continued dragging the ashes towards the back door and the large man walked back to his friends. As she reached the doorway, she could hear him asking his female companion for money.

Sanji walked into the room just in time to hear Nami's answer.

"I don't think so, Zoro. You already owe me money from what I lent you in Loguetown."

"You said you'd forget about that at Whiskey Peak!" Zoro protested.

"_And_ you owe me for your room and food last night." Nami continued with a huff. "Sorry, but a man with dubious credit such as yours can only be trusted so much."

"_Fine!_" Zoro retook his seat abruptly and proceeded to ignore everyone else in the room.

Sanji glanced around at the group in front of him, waving his hand to catch their attention. "We only have food I bought this morning, so there's not much of a selection. But tell me what you want and I'll do my best to scrounge something up."

"Meat!" Luffy crowed as he hopped up and down on the table in anticipation.

"Why am I not surprised?" Sanji muttered. "Fish it is then. Miss Nami?"

Nami put on a sugary smile as she stretched like a cat. "You pick, Sanji dear. I know I'll like whatever you make."

Sanji broke out into a stupid grin at the compliment. "Anything for you Miss Nami!" he replied with hearts in his eyes. He quickly composed himself before turning to Zoro "Oiy, Lettuce Brain. What about you?"

"Nothing." Zoro muttered as he stared darkly at the floor.

"You didn't eat breakfast either. Are you trying to watch your figure?" Sanji made one last ditch attempt to lighten the swordsman's mood. "You are looking kind of fat around the middle."

"I just don't want anything, you shitty cook!" Zoro's chair fell backwards with a loud clatter as the swordsman stood. Noticing everyone's stares, the swordsman scratched his head. "I've got some stuff to do." He stated gruffly. He began walking away but was stopped halfway by the serving girl from earlier. The girl handed Zoro a small pouch, which he quickly pocketed. "Later." He called out behind him before walking out the door.

"I'm going too!" Luffy tried to jump to his feet but he was stopped by Nami's hand on his collar. The redhead shook her head in negative and the captain seemed to deflate slightly before remembering that he was going to get to eat. "Food!" he cried.

Sanji cleared his throat awkwardly and turned to Usopp.

The sharpshooter waved him away with a wavering smile. "I'm not very hungry myself. In fact, I forgot I had to meet a man about a--uh--uh—three-eyed fish from West Blue." Usopp stood quickly and backed towards the door. "I'll catch up with you guys later, okay?" Without waiting for an answer he dashed out the door.

Sanji shook his head, a bewildered expression on his face. He didn't know what was getting into everyone, but he was starting to think the sooner they left this island, the better. The blonde headed towards the kitchen, leaving his remaining two companions staring at the front door; one face was troubled, the other almost too carefully blank.

ooooooooo


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Loyalties Author: AstroKender Pairings: nothing clean cut. You can pretty much see what you want to see. Though I confess that I'm a rabid fan of Zoro/Luffy, so that might sneak in a bit.  
Warnings: Angst and Blood and Violence. And did I mention Angst?  
Spoilers: Not really.  
Notes: I like Usopp, and I guess that shows by how big of a part he has in this chapter (It wasn't so long in the outline but i really like his character so that influenced me a bit as i was writing) Ummmm....don't shoot me for this chapter. (at least wait till the end of the fic to burn me alive with flames) This story does have a happy ending, scouts honor.  
Feedback: or use the comment bar at the bottom of the screen.  
Archived: Ask and ye will probably receive.  
Disclaimers: I don't own One Piece or it's affiliates. This fic is written for entertainment purposes only and is not meant for sale. Don't sue.  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Usopp darted quickly behind a nearby barrel as Zoro's head turned in his direction. He had been following the swordsman for close to three hours now. Tailing him with all the stealth he could muster through the thick crowd of the market district. As an expert in evasive tactics-i.e. running away - the dark skinned boy found many nooks and crannies in the bustling town that allowed him to slink behind his tall friend undiscovered. And right now Usopp could not afford to get caught. Not yet. Not before he could figure out what was going on.  
  
Something was wrong with Zoro; that much the sharpshooter could tell just by looking. The Going Merry's first mate would often stumble unexpectedly as if drunk, covering it up by cursing at the hard to tread road of sand. But his body was covered in a sheen of sweat unnatural even in this humidity. And at the bar, Usopp noticed that Zoro's skin had a yellow tint to it that had nothing to do with the pub's bad lighting. Zoro could cover it up all he wanted, but it was clear to anyone who really looked that something was seriously wrong with the former bounty hunter.  
  
But the swordsman didn't look injured, as far as Usopp could tell. Maybe the wound Hawk-Eyes Mihawk had given him was once again bothering him? That happened quite a while ago, but normal men didn't recover from such a wound so quickly-- if they recover at all. Usopp's intuition, however, told him that something else was amiss with his green-haired friend.  
  
Sanji was as clueless as he was, and far less inclined to anything about it. As far as the cook was concerned, Zoro could take care of himself. But Sanji hadn't been around the swordsman for as long as Usopp had. Zoro would just as soon cut off his legs rather than admit to needing help-- and he nearly had, back on Little Garden. Nami had ranted for days about what a stupid idea that was and had been double incensed about the fact that Vivi was going to go along with it.  
  
Usopp would have go to Nami for help-nobody could drag the truth out of a person like their navigator could-but the redhead was so deeply immersed with Vivi's plight that she had little patience in dealing with anything else, including stubborn swordsmen and their stupid man-problems. So that left Luffy for help, which was no help at all, so Usopp didn't bother even asking. Nope, this mission was up to a real man. Only a very brave and powerful warrior like himself could confront a man like Zoro with such steely determination as to gain the first mate's confidence.  
  
Which was why he was crouched in the mud behind a barrel of what smelled like pickled fish, as he watched Zoro go shopping.  
  
Yes, shopping. Though the long-nosed boy knew from association that Zoro had a tolerance for pain that bordered on masochism, this was a little ridiculous. Here the man was, obviously ill, yet strolling about as if he was just taking a pleasant afternoon off.  
  
Zoro had gone into the town's pitiful excuse for a weapon's shop first. It was a small building no larger than the room the boys had to all squeeze in together on the Going Merry. Usopp had been there earlier in the day and knew that the shop had nothing more than a bowgun and a couple of rusty swords.  
  
But regardless of the small selection, the swordsman was inside the shop for quite a few minutes. And when he finally did come out, he didn't seem to have anything new on him. In fact, it looked like he had one less sword. Didn't Zoro always carry three katana?  
  
Usopp had scuttled after the swordsman as he walked into the general store. Zoro was in this shop less than five minutes and stepped out with a huge wetskin that sat across his back, heavy with water. He took great gulps of the clear liquid, making Usopp's mouth feel a little dry in envy. After all, here he was baking in the afternoon sun while Zoro got to take refuge in the cool interior of the various shops in town. And now it seemed the next stop on the swordsman's little sundry trip was the butcher's shop.  
  
"Now he's hungry," Usopp muttered sarcastically. He leaned against a crumbling wall across the street and cracked his fingers in boredom. Already the sharpshooter's curiosity was waning and he mulled over whether or not to just return to the others. Zoro returned into view, looking no more laden than when he went in and Usopp began to get frustrated.  
  
"What's he doing, window shopping?" But he immediately checked his tone as Zoro's body began to reverberate with a wracking cough. Zoro's knees appeared to give out on him and Usopp almost blew his cover by rushing over to the swordsman. But, propping himself against the butcher's shop, Zoro seemed to slowly recover. He raised a trembling hand to his haramaki and pulled out a small pouch that Usopp dimly recognized. Pouring out a handful of some sort of black substance, Zoro threw the stuff into his mouth.  
  
Coughing and sputtering, the swordsman made a disgusted face but nevertheless upended the bag into his mouth, shaking it until it was empty. Usopp watched him doggedly chew for several moments before washing down the stuff with many sloppy gulps from his wetskin. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, Zoro gave one last weak cough before pushing himself to his feet and resuming his unsteady gait down the merchant street. Usopp jumped up and hastily followed him.  
  
Which had all lead to Usopp squatting behind the aforementioned barrel of fish as Zoro walked into what appeared to be a metalsmith's. "I'm not going to find anything out like this!" Usopp exclaimed, exasperated. "I gotta get closer so I can hear what's going on." The long-nosed boy left his sheltered hiding place and crept up to one of the shop's soot-covered windows. Zoro's low baritone filtered through the ill-fitted glass and into Usopp's ear.  
  
"Come on. It's not like I'm asking for anything of quality. Just something nice and serviceable. Don't you have something rusting away in the attic or something?"  
  
"I'm sorry Mister," A voice that must have been the shop owner's gave an apologetic reply. "But I don't have anything like that for less then eight thousand beli."  
  
"I knew I should have asked for more from that sword guy, Damn it." Zoro cursed. "Look, this is really important. I need one of those chest plates. Just a little one!"  
  
Chest plate? Usopp's mind echoed in bewilderment.  
  
"Listen, good metal like this is hard to find on this island. I can't sell it to you for any less than what I've stated. If you want, go down to old Hana's place. He's a tanner and could probably give you something like you want for about four thousand beli or so."  
  
Usopp blocked out the rest of the conversation as Zoro asked for directions. His mind raced through the facts as his head idly rubbed back and forth against the scratchy surface of the building. Things just didn't add up. Why visit all of those different shops? What was Zoro buying? What was he looking for? All the sharpshooter knew was that, from the exchange he just heard, Zoro was expecting a fight. And quite a big one if he felt the need to wear armor. Usopp swallowed past the lump of fear that formed in his throat.  
  
Catching a flash of green out of the corner of his eyes, Usopp shook himself back to his senses and scrambled after the Going Merry's first mate. Zoro darted in and out of the crowd as he made his way down the street with a swiftness that was quite a change from the slow trodding pace of before. All attempts at stealth were thrown to the wind as the sharpshooter tried desperately to keep up.  
  
"Where did he go?" Usopp paused and looked about desperately as people jostled and pushed him from all directions. Seeing no sign of his quarry, Usopp's shoulders slumped. He ran a hand through the tangled curls of his hair and heaved a great sigh of defeat.  
  
"Why are you following me, Usopp?"  
  
Usopp nearly jumped out of his skin as he whirled around to face the object of his search. Zoro stood before him, arms crossed in front of his chest. Usopp tried desperately to calm his racing heart as he laughed nervously.  
  
"Ah! Z-zoro. There you are! U-uh, I just came to tell you t-that Nami said we were gonna stay on the ship tonight and h-head out first thing in the morning." Usopp stuttered out the first thing that popped into his head. He was pretty sure that Zoro hadn't been around for that conversation so it wasn't like he was lying.  
  
"Uh huh. So why didn't you tell me that five blocks ago?"  
  
Usopp winced at how easily he had been discovered. "Just killing time, I guess. Eh-heh."  
  
Zoro rolled his eyes and pushed past him as he began walking down the street once more. After a couple of steps, he paused. "Well?"  
  
"Well what?" Usopp's dark eyebrows rose in confusion.  
  
"Are you coming or not?" Zoro demanded.  
  
"Oh! Uh, yeah." The sharpshooter hurriedly closed the distance between them.  
  
They walked in silence, Usopp trailing a few feet behind so he could watch the swordsman unnoticed.  
  
"What are you staring at?" Zoro growled out.  
  
Or so he had thought. Usopp cursed the astute swordsman's instinct but did not lighten his own scrutiny. "You're sweating." He announced. Indeed, Zoro's white shirt was practically transparent as it clung to his back, completely soaked.  
  
"It's hot." Zoro snorted as he stated the obvious. Behind him, Usopp sighed in frustration. Talking with Zoro was always like this.  
  
"You're sweating A LOT."  
  
Zoro only shrugged. They walked for a couple of minutes more and the sharpshooter was beginning to think that the tanner's place was maybe located on the next island when the swordsman paused.  
  
"We're lost." He looked at the shorter boy accusingly.  
  
"We're lost? I was following you!" Usopp fumed.  
  
Zoro looked about in frustration. "I don't have time for this." He coughed slightly. Usopp sighed.  
  
"Where did the metalsmith guy say this place was?"  
  
Zoro turned and shot him a level stare. "So you were spying on me."  
  
"W-what m-me?" Usopp silently cursed himself. "I only-I was just-Ah, shit, Zoro. I was just worried about you, okay?" The sharpshooter was too hot and exhausted to spit out anything but the truth. "You haven't been acting right."  
  
Zoro frowned. "I'm fine. You should just mind you own business."  
  
"Fine. Yeah, right, if by fine you mean about to drop over dead. And your business is my business." Usopp tapped his long nose pointedly. "We all depend on you in a fight, you know. As annoying as you are, you occasionally come in handy in battle." Usopp turned away with a huff. Unable to help himself, Zoro let out a small chuckle.  
  
"You should speak for yourself."  
  
Usopp was about to stick his tongue out in reply when his sharp eyes spotted a weathered sign about a half a block back. "Hey, I think I found the place."  
  
They backtracked their steps and soon stood before the leather worker's shop. The long-nosed boy started forward, but Zoro put a hand out, stopping him from entering. Usopp looked at Zoro questioningly.  
  
"Just stay here. I'll be out in a minute." He stepped into the shop before the sharpshooter could protest.  
  
Usopp kicked at the sand under his feet in frustration. He still didn't know what was going on. It was getting late and the sun was just starting to crest the gnarled trees that reached their twisted arms into the air. The black marsh birds that so frequented the skies earlier now headed to the safety of the swamps to sleep. Nami and the others will be wondering where they were.  
  
Pacing back and forth in front of the shop, Usopp tried to decide what to do. Visions of holding Zoro at pachinko point until he talked flashed through his mind. But these visions were quickly replaced of ones where Zoro kicked his ass. Sighing, the boy's large lips pulled into a frown. Maybe he should just ask the guy, point blank, what was going on. It wasn't like Zoro was the type of person to lie.  
  
Unlike other people, Usopp admitted to himself shamefully. The sharpshooter glanced up as Zoro emerged from the building. He looked terrible, Usopp noted to himself. Squaring his shoulders, he was about to demand to be clued in when he noticed Zoro's hands were empty.  
  
"Didn't they have what you wanted?" he asked.  
  
"I'm having it delivered." Zoro told him as he rubbed at his bloodshot eyes. He glanced up breifly, noting the position of the sun. "It's getting late." He commented dully. Grabbing his waterskin, he took a large swig as he stared at Usopp thoughtfully. Usopp shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny, for some reason unable to speak.  
  
Motioning him to follow, Zoro suddenly slipped into the crack between the tanner's place and the building next to it. It was a tight fit; Usopp could have reached out his arms and touched both walls. Opening his mouth to ask where they were going, the words died on his lips.  
  
Zoro stood before him, katana in hand. The swordsman's face was grim and his eyes heavy with regret. "I didn't want to do this." He said softly.  
  
Usopp's eyebrows rose up to meet his bandanna and a tremor ran up his spine. "D-do what?"  
  
Sighing, Zoro dug his katana, point first, in the ground. "I've been hired to kill you. If I don't, I won't live to see the sun set tomorrow."  
  
"K-kill me? But why? Who hired you?" Usopp tried desperately to get a handle on the situation as his knees threatened to give out on him.  
  
"It doesn't matter." Zoro muttered. "I let him out-smart me and now..." He raised his sword.  
  
"Z-zoro you can't! I mean, w-were friends, right?"  
  
"I don't have a choice!" The green-haired man growled out. "I have to survive to fight Mihawk again! I made a promise."  
  
"B-but!"  
  
Zoro's hand clenched around the katana's hilt until his knuckles turned white. "Run away, Usopp. This guy isn't really concerned with you anyway. Take the ship and Vivi and Chopper and get out of here."  
  
Usopp first instinct was just that-- to run. But, looking at Zoro's shaking hands, he couldn't seem to get his legs to work. Bowing his head, he smiled sadly.  
  
"Hey, your life depends on this, right?" Usopp murmured after a long moment of silence. "I mean, you probably can't afford a mistake like letting me go. If this fellow backed a guy like you in a corner, someone like me doesn't have much of a chance."  
  
Zoro looked at him incomprehensibly and Usopp to a deep breath to help push the words out.  
  
"J-just do it!" The sharpshooter's hands balled into tight fists. "K-kill me!" he shouted.  
  
"What?" Zoro stared at him, amazed.  
  
"A guy like you wouldn't be doing this if he didn't have to." Usopp explained, his voice surprisingly steady, if not a bit high-pitched. "And if I ran away, I may have to carry your death on my conscious for the rest of my life." He stared at the ground. "I-I just couldn't do that."  
  
"Usopp...." Zoro whispered.  
  
"I-I just want you to know that I kinda looked up to you." Usopp scratched his nose evasively. "You are what I wanted to be. You're strong, brave and-and you never let anyone get the better of you-well, except this time," he amended hastily.  
  
Looking up, he met Zoro's bewildered stare with an intense one of his own. "But your code of honor was what I admired most. You are what a brave warrior of the sea should be like. B-but I can be brave too, see?" He shouted out, tears in his eyes. "Just do me a favor and tell Kaya-tell Kaya that I died like a pirate." Extending his arms, Usopp's whole body shook as he closed his eyes.  
  
Usopp heard an in-drawn breath and tensed. He could still run, a voice screamed in his head. But the sharpshooter had already decided his fate. Usopp tried not to scream as he felt something hit his stomach. Something thick and wet quickly soaked through his overalls. Usopp then saw a bright flash of pain behind his eyelids and then knew no more.  
  
OOVVVVVOO Nami paced back and forth in front of the Swampwater's Brew angrily. The sun was about to set and not one of her companions was in sight. The redhead was about to tear her hair out in frustration. They didn't have time for these kinds of delays. The ship needed to be prepared to set sail for Alabasta first thing tomorrow morning.  
  
Peering through the creeping gloom of dusk, Nami's eyes strained to find any form of life. The streets were suspiciously deserted tonight. Not one customer had come to the bar to parch their thirst from a hot day of hard work. Nami ignored the nervous twinge seizing the back of her neck and turned her head to look down the other end of the street.  
  
She saw a figure approach and covered her relief by opening her mouth to start a screaming tirade, but it wasn't one of her crewmates. It was just some man carrying a large package. The guy nodded to her politely before entering the tavern and Nami sighed.  
  
"Maybe I should just head on back to the ship." She whispered tiredly.  
  
"I can't let you do that."  
  
Nami glanced up in surprise as Zoro suddenly stepped out of the shadows of a nearby building. Frowning, she crossed her arms in front of her. "Where have you been?" she called out.  
  
"Usopp ran off right after you did and Luffy disappeared right after lunch. I sent Sanji out to look for him but no one has come back! I-Zoro?" Nami frowned as the swordsman silently stalked closer. Her arms fell to her sides as she noticed that her green-haired friend was holding one of his katana, and it was dripping with blood.  
  
"What's going on, Zoro?" The swordsman said nothing and Nami instinctively began backing away. "T-this isn't funny you know. If you're trying to get me back for not loaning you money earlier I'm gonna-" the words cut off in a gasp as Zoro darted forward. Nami felt something slam into her stomach before darkness filled her vision.  
  
Zoro wiped the blood from his blade, his dark eyes shadowed. Hearing a gasp, he turned to see the tanner, Hana, step out of the inn. Sheathing his sword, he stared the man down.  
  
"If you want to live, go home and forget what you've seen tonight."  
  
The tanner nodded frantically. Terrified, the man practically tripped over himself in his haste to get away.  
  
Zoro cracked his neck idly before bending over and scooping Nami up and over his shoulder, ignoring the sticky blood that ran down her body to stain his white shirt. He walked down the deserted road as steadily as he could manage, given his condition. Zoro hastily swallowed the bile rising in his throat as nausea threatened to empty what little was in his stomach. The swordsman growled as he stumbled and paused to adjust the girl's body over his shoulder. Nami's small weight would not have normally phased him, but now if felt as if he were carrying the higher pairings of Baroque Works on his back. Frowning, Zoro forced himself to mentally throw off his weakness. He still had one last person to deal with; and this one wasn't going to be a walk in the park.  
  
OOVVVVVOO  
  
Sanji reclined on a bench located in a small park a few blocks away from the pub. He had been unable to find Luffy and knew he should probably getting back before Nami started to worry. But the sunset on this otherwise dismal island was truly awesome and the cook couldn't help but bask in it as he nursed a cigarette.  
  
He was down to his last pack and Black Feather was too wet of environment to properly grow tobacco. Sanji wondered if he would survive until his next island. If they don't have any smokes there, I'll really be in trouble, Sanji thought to himself. I had better ration what I've have left.  
  
Carefully stubbing out the half-smoked cigarette, he stored the butt in his pocket to be finished later. Standing, he extended his lanky body in a gratifying stretch before jamming his hands in his pockets and beginning the short walk back to the tavern. He hoped Nami and the others had waited for him.  
  
As if called into existence merely by his thoughts, the blonde spotted Nami sitting on a low step in a lamp-lit doorway. The navigator leaned against the wall with her eyes closed, as if resting. Smiling, Sanji stepped closer.  
  
That smile quickly disappeared as he noticed a large red stain on the front of Nami's shirt. Fear seizing his breath, he dashed forward only to slam into a solid object that suddenly appeared before him. He fell backwards, the air knocked from his lungs. Sanji looked up to see what hit him and stared.  
  
"Zoro?"  
  
The swordsman nodded, his green hair covered by the black bandanna that signaled he was ready for a fight. Quickly remembering the reason for his earlier panic, the blonde jumped to his feet. "Zoro! Nami-"  
  
"I know." Zoro stated calmly. "I'm the one who did it."  
  
Sanji stared at the warrior uncomprehendingly until his eyes noticed the dark stain that lay over Zoro's right shoulder. A shoulder that was whole and unharmed. Sanji's blonde locks dropped down to cover his eyes as his hands clenched.  
  
"What have you done to Miss Nami?" Sanji did not recognize his own voice but he clearly heard the voice coming from the man across from him. The man that the cook once considered as a friend.  
  
"The same thing that I'm going to do to you."  
  
No signal was given as the two men rushed each other. Zoro drew his two katana quickly and slashed forward, but the cook was no longer in front of him. A heavy, shoe-clad foot slammed into the swordsman's ribs with bone cracking force.  
  
Zoro stumbled but quickly recovered as he swung his arm backwards, ramming the hilt of Sandai Kitetsu right into Sanji's chin.  
  
"Bastard!" The blonde cursed as he spit out a mouthful of blood. Flipping agilely into a handstand, he let lose a whirlwind of kicks that threatened to take off the swordsman's head.  
  
Zoro was breathing heavily as he jumped back to avoid the brunt of the blows. His vision swam for a moment and he found himself seeing double, looking at two Sanji's before a ferocious kick sent him ploughing into the ground.  
  
Zoro's joints ached as if they were on fire and he struggled to regain his breath. He jumped to his feet, swinging his swords wildly in order to keep the furious kicks of the blonde cook at bay. All attempts of finesse were hopeless as his arms only barely obeyed his commands. At this rate he was in danger of losing. He needed to finish this fight quickly.  
  
Lacking the comfort of Wadou between his teeth, he nevertheless crouched into what he hoped to be this battle's finishing move. A black shoe was headed with lightening speed for his skull and he made his move.  
  
"Oni...giri!" His swords flashed out faster than what could be seen by the naked eye.  
  
Sanji's eyes widened as he fell to his knees. Zoro stepped up behind him, swords at ready.  
  
"You were always the stubborn one, you shitty cook." The swordsman growled out as he slammed the hilt of his katana down onto Sanji's head. The blonde's wavering vision caught one last glimpse of Nami's slumped form before he fell face first into the sandy street.  
  
Zoro stood over Sanji; his breath leaving his lungs in short gasps. Reaching into his haramaki, he pulled something out and threw it onto the fallen man's back. The cook didn't make a sound as the pirate hunter's sword flashed downwards, splattering blood in a long arc across the sand.  
  
Zoro sheathed his swords and wearily bent over and grabbed a handful of the Sanji's jacket. He dragged the blonde over to the bloodstained body of Nami and, in closing the distance, revealed the limp form of Usopp. Hefting the redhead over his shoulder once more, he grabbed a hold of Usopp and began the long trek out of town.  
  
The dragging bodies of Sanji and the sharpshooter left shallow trenches in the road as Zoro headed south. To his right, the last rays of the setting sun turned the horizon the color of blood.  
  
"Here I come, Uragi." Zoro whispered.  
  



	4. Chapter 4

Title: Loyalties

Author: AstroKender

Pairings: nothing clean cut. You can pretty much see what you want to see.  
Warnings: Blood and violence and angst abounds. Just remember minna, I'm shooting for a happy ending )  
Spoilers: Not really.  
Notes: Ah finally, the scene I've been waiting on. (and the reason I wrote this fic in the first place) I hope it comes out as good as the idea originally in my head.  
Feedback: or use the comment bar at the bottom of the screen.  
Archived: Ask and ye will probably receive.  
Disclaimers: I don't own One Piece or it's affiliates. This fic is written for entertainment purposes only and is not meant for sale. Don't sue.  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Luffy left the bar directly after lunch for a very important reason: he was curious. Now this was not the idle curiosity that plagued the captain's attention span every five minutes of every passing day. No, this here was curiosity with a purpose.  
  
The last time he felt a drive such as this was in Loguetown, where Gold Roger had been executed. Luffy climbed that scaffold with his eyes practically gleaming with the intensity of his inquisitiveness. He wanted—no needed—to see how the Pirate King had died and what his last view of this life had been.  
  
His wish had come almost a little too true, as he himself faced execution at the hands of Red Nose Buggy, holding true to that saying about curiosity and cats. Luffy had looked into that crowd of upturned faces as the sword blade had came down, picking out the distraught expressions of two of his crewmates. In that second he wondered briefly if Roger's friends had to watch his death in the same way.  
  
Fortunately Luffy had been spared an early death by a quick stroke of luck—errr, lightening. That day was forgotten quickly as the days following sped by in a blur that came to rest on Black Feather. The island's unusual terrain had sparked the flame of curiosity once again. And now Luffy had finally gotten a chance to do something about it.  
  
The question was simple: If a hammer is dropped in a swamp, will it sink?  
  
Quite literally this meant that Luffy wanted to know if swamp water would cause in him the same weakness that occurs when he falls—or is tossed—into the sea. Would it be exactly the same? Would he be able to wade around and perhaps swim around with those tasty lizards he had seen with all the pointy teeth? Luffy was dying to know what would happen.  
  
Which brought up the problem, of course. Luffy wanted to know what would happen should he jump in, but didn't particularly want to stick around if the consequences turned against his favor. The captain was a bit slow on the uptake, sure, but he did posses at least a mediocre sense of self-preservation.  
  
So after breakfast he jumped into a water barrel. Nothing much happened besides his clothes getting wet and some large man running out of a building yelling at him. Luffy was slightly disappointed, but the outcome wasn't unexpected. After all, he could splash around in a bathtub well enough, though he didn't do such a thing very often.  
  
His next tests of a fountain, a keg of ale, and a giant sink in which to wash dishes all turned up the same results. This left a sodden Luffy drumming his heels on the ledge of a building where he was hiding from an angry mob that thought he was trying to contaminate their water (and ale). A thoughtful frown on his face, Luffy tried his best to force the gears in his head to turn.  
  
Maybe it was only running water that sapped his strength? That is what happened in those stories of vampires that Usopp had told him. If that were the case, than a stagnate swamp should give him no more trouble than a puddle of rainwater.  
  
But still, it was best to err on the side of caution, Luffy believed. Which is why he needed someone with him that was willing to pull him back out again should his little experiment go awry. As Zoro was most often the one diving after Luffy's waveswept form, he was obviously the logical course.  
  
So he began looking for the elusive swordsman, who had mysteriously vanished sometime after breakfast. Of course the rubber man never thought to actually ask the others where he went. After all, it's not like Zoro would go on some adventure without him. He was probably just sleeping in some nice, shady spot in town as he waited for lunch.  
  
As often happens with Luffy, thoughts of food soon sidetracked him from his little self-imposed mission. All thoughts of swamp diving flew from his head at the thought of a well-prepared meal. So, after another hour or so of wandering around lost, he had eventually made it back to the inn in time to see Zoro walking up the street from the other direction.  
  
He had tried to tell Zoro about his swamp idea during lunch, but he got the feeling that the swordsman wasn't really listening to him. So Luffy decided to wait until after they ate to make Zoro come with him. Zoro wouldn't refuse; he never did. Oh, sure, he might bulk a bit at first, and of course he'd grumble a lot, but he'd do it anyway because Luffy asked him to. That's just the way things were.  
  
But then Zoro had left. Without hearing about Luffy's idea. Without eating lunch.  
  
Something was wrong.  
  
Usopp had left shortly thereafter. Without eating.  
  
Something was definitely wrong.  
  
So Luffy had run after his swordsman friend (after he had eaten lunch of course). The captain of the Straw-Hat crew search high and low for him missing first mate. He visited all the best napping spots in town. He got thrown out of all the bars. He would have even searched the Going Merry, but he couldn't remember where they had docked it.  
  
Frustrated (and hungry), Luffy dragged his sandals sullenly through the sand as he made his way back to the Swampwater's Brew. (The few villagers still out had kindly pointed the way) It was getting dark and he hadn't gotten to test his swamp theory yet. At this rate, they might leave the island before Luffy could find out. Sighing, the dark-haired boy consoled himself with the thought that, just maybe, there would be a swamp hiding unnoticed somewhere in the desert island of Alabasta.  
  
Stepping through the doorway of the inn, Luffy stopped, puzzled. The place was empty of patrons. Not a single sole was relaxing with a cold beer after a hot day's work. In fact, the only person in the room was a slightly balding, somewhat overweight man standing behind the bar. Luffy quickly crossed the room and sat on a stool across from him.  
  
"I need food."  
  
The old man glanced up from the counter he was wiping down. "Son, ain't gonna be no food tonight, I'm afraid. The cook and waitresses all went home."  
  
Luffy's lip poked out in a disappointed pout. "Why?" he asked, brows furrowed.  
  
"Well, cause Mr. Uragi came an' said that there might be some kinda trouble brewin tonight an' suggested everyone keep to their homes. An' when Mr. Uragi talks, most sensible people listen."  
  
"Trouble?" Luffy perked up in his seat. "Where?" The rubber boy tugged on his straw hat in excitement. A good bit of trouble was just what he needed to liven up what has otherwise been a dreadfully boring visit.  
  
The barman eyed him down as if he were crazy. "Well I don't rightly know where but—hey, did you come in with some friends earlier? A bunch of mismatched, pirate-like fellows?" Luffy nodded wordlessly and the man reached under the counter.  
  
"I was instructed to give this to ya then. Along with this letter." He pulled out a large twine wrapped parcel. And a slightly tattered looking piece of paper.  
  
"Ah, presents!" Luffy laughed and hurriedly tore open the package. Inside lay a heavy vest made of leather and studded with small bits of metal. The vest was small, tiny even, looking as though it would fit a child. Looking at it critically, Luffy thought it might fit him, though it was awfully ugly. Who would have gotten him something like this?  
  
"Here now, sonny, this letter's yours too." The man held out the scrap of paper.  
  
Luffy took it and turned it around in his hand a couple of times, squinting slightly, before handing it back. "What's it say, old man?" he asked impatiently.  
  
"Well, let me get my spectacles…" the man rummaged around in his pockets for a few moments as Luffy hopped back and forth on one foot, straining to see the paper he couldn't even read.  
  
"Let's see here." The old man cleared his throat. "Luffy. I'm at the swamp at the south end of town. I've got the others. Put on the damn vest and get your ass down here. Zoro. PS South is that way, stupid." The old man took off his glasses. "I'm afraid that's all it says. Sound a bit urgent, wouldn't ya say?"  
  
Luffy was already pulling the vest over his head, a remarkable feat with his hat still firmly in place. A big grin nearly split his face as his head finally popped through. "A game!" he laughed. "This should be fun!" He jogged quickly to the exit.  
  
"Which way is south again?" he called back over his shoulder.  
  
"Umm, that way," the man pointed. "But you really shouldn't go out there. Mr. Uragi said—" The barman's words died on his lips as he realized he was warning an empty room. The young man had already left.  
  
OOVVVVVOO  
  
Zoro paced the uneven ground impatiently as he awkwardly tried to avoid any sinkholes, not to mention the majority of the sludge. He had lain the others on a small mound that wasn't too damp, and close enough that he could make sure their bodies didn't become dinner for the local wildlife.  
  
The swamp at night was creepy, he had to admit. The swamp itself looked like polished black glass in the moonlight, marred here and there by the even blacker shadows of roaming animals or floating vegetation. The heat from the day still radiated up from the ground to mingle with the cooler night air, creating a light fog that covered the landscape like gauze.  
  
The swordsman paused as a cramp seized his stomach. They were coming more frequent now and strong enough to make him want to double over. His body was flushed with fever and every once in awhile his vision blurred making pacing rather difficult.  
  
"Damn. Fighting in this shape is gonna be troublesome." Zoro muttered as he swatted at yet another mosquito. A darker, more fevered part of him hoped that the little bloodsuckers would get poisoned too, at least the ones he couldn't manage to squish.  
  
Shaking his head, Zoro peered through the gloom vainly trying to catch sight of any figures coming from town. Neither Luffy nor Uragi had shown up yet. Zoro fervently wished that Luffy for once would not get lost and that he wouldn't stumble into Uragi first.  
  
It took Zoro a long time to come up with this plan, and to be honest, it was the first time he had ever had to think things through so meticulously. Zoro's normal method was charge and slash and let the others take care of themselves. His comrades were strong, right?  
  
But he himself had been taken down so easily and he could honestly say, without bragging, that the only crewmember who could possibly match him in strength was Luffy. The others had their talents and, together, they may have been able to come up with a plan, but it was too risky to chance. There was no reason for all of them to die. So Zoro would save who he could.  
  
And right now his priority was his captain. And himself. If Zoro could manage to get some of Uragi's poison, Chopper could create a cure and Zoro would live to fulfill his promise. The only reason he lived was for that promise.  
  
Zoro's hand shot out to balance himself as his vision dimmed. He could hear laughter, all around him. A girl's laughter. Her laughter. Squinting, Zoro could even make out her shape floating above the water.  
  
"You're weak as always, Zoro."  
  
"No!" Zoro rubbed harshly at his face. "I've got to pull it together. I still have a fight to win, but first I need to make sure that idiot is—"  
  
"Oiy! Zoro!" A voice called out from the shadows.  
  
Pulse racing, Zoro turned towards the voice.  
  
OOVVVVVOO  
  
Luffy raised his hand in greeting as he stepped forward out of the tree line. His sandals squelched with each step, showing he wasn't as careful as Zoro was in getting here. In fact, it was a miracle he made it here at all.  
  
"So," he called out with a grin. "You decided to help me out with my idea?"  
  
Zoro looked bewildered. Frowning, Luffy put his hands on his hips. "You know, to see if I can float in this stuff." He gestured to the murky water around them. "I told ya about it at lunch, remember? Gee, Zoro, you sure do have a bad memory."  
  
His first mate shook his head in annoyance. "Nevermind that! Where's the vest I gave you? You're not wearing it. Didn't you get it?" He demanded as he strode forward.  
  
"Ah, that. Yeah I got it, but it wasn't very comfortable and it was really heavy so I threw it away about halfway here." Luffy scratched his head underneath his hat. "Why did you get me a silly thing like that for, anyway?"  
  
"You tossed it?" Zoro yelled incredulously. "You idiot!" The swordsman grabbed Luffy by his shirtfront, shaking him like a rag doll. "What where you thinking? Do you know what I had to go through to get that for you? Did you even read the note?"  
  
Luffy's head bounced back and forth wildly. "Yeah, well actually some old man read it to me, but I remembered all the stuff it said. Swamp. South. Something about the others…where are they anyway?"  
  
Zoro suddenly let Luffy go, his eyes growing cold. "If this is the way it has to be…" he muttered as he slowly tied the black bandanna around his head. Taking a few steps back, he placed his hand on his two remaining swords.  
  
"So, where is everyone?" Luffy asked again as he pulled his hat back down firmly on his head.  
  
Wordlessly, Zoro nodded to his right, where three bodies were just barely visible in the waxing moonlight. Luffy's eyes widened and he sucked in a large in-drawn breath. "Guys! Zoro, what happened?" he asked as he rushed forward.  
  
"I happened." Zoro stated, moving to block his captain's progress. Luffy stared at him uncomprehendingly and tried to go around him, only to be stopped again, this time by the point of a sword. Luffy's eyes narrowed as he focused on the katana, it's shine dimmed here and there by rust colored trails of blood.  
  
"What's going on here, Zoro?" Luffy asked quietly.  
  
Zoro smiled humorlessly. "You just had to ruin the whole plan, didn't you. It wasn't easy for me to come up with, you know."  
  
"What did you do to the others, Zoro?" Luffy demanded, louder this time.  
  
"They were in the way." Zoro crouched down in a fighter's position. Sweat beaded slowly across his face. "Now they're not."  
  
Luffy's hands curled slowly into fists. "You…"  
  
Zoro rolled his shoulders to loosen them before raising his swords. "And now it looks like I have to take care of you as well."  
  
"You…you…Traitor!" Luffy spit the word out like a curse as he pulled his arm in preparation for a disastrous punch.  
  
Zoro smirked. There was no way he'd win this fight, that much was already apparent. His muscles twitched in protest as he held his swords aloft. His legs felt as if they would give out in any minute and he was already struggling to draw breath. All of that and the battle hadn't even started yet. He was a fool to think that his plan would work and now his foolishness might cost him everything.  
  
Zoro's ears caught a faint sound behind him and his eyes widened. Dropping his swords, he grabbed a hold of Luffy's fist just as it rushed towards him and pulled harshly. He fell backwards; abruptly pulling Luffy down with him as a load crack was heard.  
  
Rolling his head back, the swordsman caught sight of two figures close to the water's edge. Damn. Uragi's trap had already been sprung. Zoro was debating on just how quickly he could defeat them before reinforcements arrived when Luffy pushed off him with a growl.  
  
Zoro frantically tried to pull his captain back down, but Luffy gave him a quick backhand that sent him reeling back into the damp grass. "Idiot! They'll shoot you!" he called past the blood pooling in his mouth.  
  
Luffy glared down at him, totally unconcerned about the two intruders. "I'll kill you." He muttered to Zoro, once again raising his fist.  
  
Another crack was heard and Luffy turned his head calmly towards the shot flying toward him, only to stumble back in shock as the bullet pierced his arm, creating a large hole that instantly spurted blood.  
  
"Damn it Luffy! I tried to warn you!" Zoro leapt to his feet and raced towards the shooters, his swords suddenly back in hand. Even poisoned, his speed was too fast for the gunmen to react to. "You can't just bounce those things back!" He yelled out as he took care of the two with a few quick slashes of his katana. Breathing heavily, he slowly made his way back to where Luffy stood, stunned.  
  
"I've been shot." He whispered incredulously. "I've never been shot before." Luffy slowly raised his hand to cup the wound. "It hurts."  
  
"It looks bad." Zoro admitted. "I'm no Chopper, but you could easily bleed to death with a wound like that." The swordsman took off his trademark headband and wrapped it tightly around his captain's bleeding arm. "At least it went clean through."  
  
Eyes shadowed, Luffy pushed him away. "Don't touch me." Zoro opened his mouth to protest but a new voice stepped in.  
  
"You did your job well, Zoro."  
  
The two pirates turned to see what seemed to be nothing but a small puddle slowly coalesce into the shape of a man. Uragi stood before them, grinning, as he idly twisted a greasy lock of hair. "Luring your captain here and killing your three crew mates. I must say, you've far exceeded my expectations. You definitely deserve half the reward."  
  
Zoro stepped past Luffy, face expressionless, as he walked towards Uragi. "I don't care about the reward. I want the antidote."  
  
"Yes, yes." The bounty hunter waved his hand dismissively. "A dead partner is no good to me, after all."  
  
"And I want my sword back." Zoro stepped closer.  
  
"Done." Uragi sighed. "Though the one I gave you was just as good of quality." The dark-haired man's brow furrowed as he counted only two sheaths at the swordsman's side. "Where is that blade, by the way?"  
  
"I sold it. For five thousand beli."  
  
"Five thousand?" Uragi exploded. "That sword was worth at least 10 million! How could you—" he calmed himself with some effort. "Nevermind, we have other matters to attend to." He gestured to where Luffy stood watching their exchange with a murderous look on his face.  
  
A string of lanterns suddenly lit up above them, illuminating the small area of marsh where they all stood. At the apparent signal, five men burst out from the water, spitting out bamboo reeds as they brought their guns up to arm. Uragi gestured impatiently to Zoro.  
  
"And now, if you would kindly move out of the way."  
  
Wordlessly, Zoro sheathed his swords. The gunmen were too far away. He'd never cut them all down in time. Zoro heaved a large sigh as he headed slowly toward Uragi's side. The bounty hunter nodded to his men and five rifle hammers clicked back in synch.  
  
"You may fire when ready, men."  
  
Before the words were even out, Zoro had twisted around like a cat. He ran as fast as he had ever run before as five shots rang out. He forgot everything. The poison, the antidote, the pain, his promise….  
  
Luffy's eyes widened as the guns went off, true fear striking him immobile for the first time. Shanks' face flashed fleetingly through his mind as he was suddenly knocked over by a giant force coming from the side. He felt the impact of five shots indirectly as they hit the solid force in front of him. Luffy's breath exploded from his body as that large and heavy something landed atop him.  
  
Dazed, the rubber man's head tipped up only to come face to face with his first mate. Blood coursed down Zoro's arms as he laboriously pushed himself upwards a few inches. His eyes were wide and wild as he grinned down at Luffy.  
  
"You're right…" he grunted. "Getting shot does hurt."  
  
"Zoro…" Luffy whispered.  
  
"My loyalties will always lie with my captain." Zoro's smile faded as his eyes rolled back and he slumped over Luffy like a puppet with its strings cut.  
  
Luffy's eyes widened as he reached up and grabbed the swordsman's blood soaked arms, alternating trying to push him off and shake him awake. "Zoro? Zoro!"  
  
Blood began to soak through his clothes, hot and wet. Too much blood…. Luffy's eyes turned panicked.  
  
"Zoro! Hey, Zoro!"  
  
The swordsman couldn't answer.  
  
"ZORO!"


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Loyalties

Author: AstroKender Pairings: nothing clean cut. You can pretty much see what you want to see.  
Warnings: Blood and violence. Excessive Luffy/Zoro goodness Spoilers: Not really.  
Notes: Ack! Sorry this one took so long. Real life can be a bitch. But I've got a nice long chapter for you all, thanks in part to maedhros's wonderfully encouraging feedback and a new chapter of Hide and Seek popping out. To Winner-sama: I think your fic is one of the best OP ones out there!!! Feedback: or use the comment bar at the bottom of the screen.  
Archived: Ask and ye will probably receive.  
Disclaimers: I don't own One Piece or it's affiliates. This fic is written for entertainment purposes only and is not meant for sale. Don't sue.  
  
Chapter 5  
  
It had been about an hour since the sun had set behind the anchored caravel of the Straw Hat Crew. The waters painted red only a little while ago now sloshed about the hull of the Going Merry like the darkest of inks. The tide itself had risen, sending the coastline meters away from where it lay that afternoon. If anyone were to leave the ship at this point, it would have to be by rowboat, unless they fancied a moonlight swim.  
  
Standing quietly on the deck, Vivi let the cool sea air whisper gently over her face as she stared up into the night. The moon's brightness blocked out many of the stars, but a few of the brighter ones persevered and glittered like shards of ice in the navy blue sky. Troubled eyes the same color as that sky turned downward and scoured the ocean's horizon, as the princess wondered bleakly if the stars looked as cold and distant hanging over Alabasta.  
  
Perhaps sensing her morose thoughts, Carue gently nudged Vivi's leg from where he lay beside her. "Quaa?" Vivi patted the spot-billed duck's head affectionately.  
  
"It's all right, Carue." The young girl smiled. "I'm just a little homesick. But we'll reach Alabasta soon. And then we'll stop the rebellion." Leaning on the ship's rail, she peered down into the dark water below. "We've met some really good people, Carue." She whispered fondly. "People who really want to help us with our mission, even though it has nothing to do with them. When I'm with them, our mission doesn't seem so impossible."  
  
"Qua qua quack." Carue said, matter-of-factly.  
  
"He said nothing is impossible when your friends are beside you."  
  
Vivi turned to see Chopper padding hesitantly across the deck, his small hooves barely making a sound. The reindeer looked around nervously before coming to stand at the princess's side opposite of Carue. "I thought we were supposed to stay inside the ship?" he whispered as he tugged gently on her shirt. His eyes darted about as if they would be caught at any second.  
  
"I couldn't stay in that stuffy cabin for one more second." Vivi muttered with a frown. "I felt so useless sitting down there, sulking."  
  
Chopper gazed up at the blue-haired girl as he fidgeted from hoof to hoof. "But Zoro said--"  
  
"If things are as dangerous as Mr. Bushido said, then we should be out there helping everyone!" Vivi shouted as she gestured towards the island behind her. The princess had worked herself into a fit of helplessness as she imagined one horror after another befalling her comrades.  
  
As if her shout had summoned them, a giant flock of birds flew overhead, heading away from Black Feather. Vivi and the others stared up in fascination tinged with not a little bit of fear as the dark creatures circled about before finally coming to roost on every available surface of the Going Merry.  
  
"There are dozens of them!" Vivi called out, trying to be heard over the clamor of squawks and cries. She ducked swiftly as one of the more agitated birds darted over her head. Feeling frazzled and overwhelmed, Vivi crouched down on the deck and did her best to protect her head. "Why are they here?" she cried.  
  
Chopper poked his head out from under the safety of Carue's wing. "They're frightened!" Vivi crawled over to the other two, pausing now and then to hold in a nervous shriek as a black shadow swooped down at her.  
  
"What scared them?" she asked when she finally reached her companions. The blue-haired girl leaned against Carue as she fought to get her breath back.  
  
Chopper shook his head frantically. "I don't know! They're all yelling at once."  
  
Grunting like only a duck could, Carue pulled away from his friends and took a couple steps forward. Heaving in a giant breath, the yellow duck released it all in one resounding…  
  
"QUACK!"  
  
Amazingly, the birds quieted down and ceased their frenzied flapping. Looking about in wonder, Vivi cautiously rose to her feet, keeping a careful eye on the birds milling about them as Chopper tentatively stepped out from behind her. Picking out the closest bird, the doctor leaned over and whispered something to it. Chopper cocking one of his ears outward and listened intently to the muted whistles and clicks that made up the bird's reply.  
  
"Well?" Vivi asked, as the reindeer stepped away.  
  
Chopper shook his head. "The bird spoke with a strange accent. I couldn't understand all of it. "He said something about two people and stretching and fighting and something else I couldn't make out."  
  
"Stretching?" Vivi echoed. Her eyes widened. "That could be Luffy!"  
  
A few feet away, Carue was having his own conversation with one of the darkly feathered birds. After a few minutes of an unintelligible combination of quacked and chirps, the spot-billed duck reared his head back abruptly.  
  
"Quack! Quack!" He shouted as her ran over to them. Chopper sucked in a horrified squeak. Vivi stared at him, the question clear on her face.  
  
"That was the word I couldn't understand! This is terrible!" Chopper tugged his top hat down firmly over his head as he ran about, wildly. Frustrated, Vivi discarded her royal etiquette and grabbed the reindeer by an antler to stop him, before bending down and shaking him angrily.  
  
"What's horrible? Tell me! What was the other word?" Vivi stopped shaking her comrade as she noticed frightened tears budding in the corners of the reindeer's eyes.  
  
Chopper sniffled slightly before tugging the princess to her feet. "Guns. It was guns, Vivi." Pulling her along, the doctor pushed her to the aft of the ship. "Get the rowboat ready. Carue, you try and talk one of the birds into showing us where they came from. I have to grab my bag!" Noticing that he was running in place, the reindeer tried desperately to jerk away from Vivi's grasp.  
  
"What's going on, Tony?" The princess pleaded.  
  
Freeing himself, Chopper ran for the hold, where his precious medical bag was stored. "The others are in trouble!" he called back over his shoulder. "We have to help!"  
  
Vivi stared at him in shock for a moment, but Chopper was relieved to see that she soon ran off to do what she was told. Bursting into his makeshift medical room, Chopper knocked over beakers and vials in the haste to find his equipment. All the while the small reindeer did his best to ignore the lump of dread forming in his stomach.  
  
In his rush to act he hadn't told Vivi everything. He hadn't told her that they might be too late.  
  
OOVVVVVOO  
  
"Don't die on me, Zoro! I haven't kicked your ass yet!"  
  
Seeing that he would get no reply from the, hopefully not, dead weight on top of him, Luffy's lips thinned into a resolved frown. Wrapping his arms around his blood-soaked comrade, he rolled them over until it was Luffy himself atop Zoro. The Straw hat captain laid his head on Zoro's chest and was rewarded with the reassuring reverberation of a heartbeat. Satisfied that his friend was alive for the moment, the dark-haired boy pulled back into a sitting position on the swordsman.  
  
Luffy vague noted that the greasy-haired guy was yelling at his companions, but he couldn't draw his eyes away from the figure lying beneath him. Staring down at his first mate's pale face, Luffy felt nothing but a sort of numb confusion. First Zoro attacks him and then he saves him. His other friends were lying in an abandoned heap not far from the men with rifles, supposedly because Zoro killed them. It just didn't add up.  
  
Try as he might, now that the battle-lust and anger had faded away, Luffy just couldn't believe that Zoro would really betray them. I mean, they were friends, right? Partners from the very beginning. They…they were supposed to reach the end of the Grand Line together. Zoro, the greatest swordsman in the world, and himself, the newly crowned Pirate King. Their adventure wasn't supposed to end like this. He looked over to the bodies of the rest of his crew, his fingers digging into his first mate's shirt reflexively.  
  
"Stupid Nami." He whispered. "Stupid Usopp. Stupid Sanji. Stupid, stupid, stupid Zoro." Luffy was surprised to find a steady stream of tears flowing down his cheeks. He hadn't cried since Shanks lost his arm. "Stupid everyone. Don't you go and die on me. Our adventure's not…it's not over yet."  
  
My loyalties will always lie with my captain…  
  
"You stupid imbeciles!" Luffy heard the enraged shout behind him. "You were only supposed to shoot the Straw Hat! I should kill every one of you!"  
  
"It's not our fault!" A quavering voice protested. "He jumped into our line of fire. Besides, the sword guy must have a bounty on him too, right?"  
  
"Fool!" Uragi snarled. "Roronoa's skills were far more valuable than any reward we could get from him!"  
  
Luffy's eyes gained a feral glint as he rose to his feet. He turned towards the bounty hunter, his shoulders shaking. "You…you know nothing about how much Zoro was-- IS worth! What they all are worth! They're priceless to me!" he stepped gently over the swordsman's still form as he stalked closer to the object of his fury. "More than my ship, more than my ambition, even more than my hat," Luffy gestured to the ragged straw thing sitting morosely in the mud. "THEY'RE MY TREASURES!" he screamed.  
  
Unfazed, Uragi gestured at the rubber-boy's friends with a broad sweep of his hand that caused his oversized coat to billow out like a sail. "We'll, I'm afraid dead, your treasures are only worth a couple thousand beli. Though I do regret the loss of a potential partner." Crossing his arms, the skinny man brooded as he stared at where Zoro lie.  
  
Luffy cracked his knuckle loudly as a murderous look transformed his face into something unlike the normally happy-go-lucky pirate. "Zoro is my partner."  
  
"Oh?" Uragi let out a snort of amusement. "Just moments ago you were ready to kill him."  
  
Luffy stared out from under his low drawn brows and his arm pulled back. "And now I'm ready to kill you."  
  
Winding his arm like a windmill, the rubber-boy let his fist fly towards his enemy with dead-on accuracy and a hoarse shout.  
  
"Gomu Gomu no Pistol!"  
  
Uragi made no move to dodge as the fist hurtled towards him. Indeed, he didn't even flinch at the punch's impact. Uragi seemed to dissolve and Luffy's fist just punched through him. Frustrated, the Straw-Hat captain yanked his arm back only to send his right leg flying towards the bounty hunter in a lashing sideswipe. "Gomu Gomu no Whip"  
  
But this attack had no effect either as Uragi's flesh merely flowed over Luffy's outstretched leg like water. Uragi solidified as the dark-haired boy's leg returned to its normal length. Panting, Luffy glared at him.  
  
"What are you?"  
  
Uragi's lip's turned up in an oily smile as he lifted his arms. "As you can see, my stupid little Straw Hat, I too have eaten the Devil's Fruit. With the powers of my Doku Doku ability, I am practically invincible."  
  
"Whatever." Luffy pulled both arms back for another strike. "I'm gonna beat you up, Grease-man. Gomu Gomu no Bazooka!"  
  
Uragi splashed out of existence as the powerful shove collided with him. Dematerializing, the dark haired man heaved an impatient sigh. "I grow weary of dealing with you. In fact, I never intended to have to battle you in the first place. That's why I have these guys." He gestured to his men who had only now crawled out of the swamp. "I believe you can attest to the viciousness of their bullets." Uragi smiled as Luffy reflexively grabbed his bandaged arm.  
  
Turning towards his men, he barked out his orders. "You know what to do. If you screw up this time you're all food for the alligators!" he threatened.  
  
Sweating, the bounty hunter's lackeys fumbled to raise their rifles into position. Impatient, Uragi shook his fist. "Hurry up and fire before he attacks! Shoot you idi—AHH!"  
  
Uragi stumbled backwards as what felt like a round pebble smacked into his face and exploded into a fiery inferno. Quickly liquefying, the bounty hunter flowed over the ground to reform a few meters away. He gingerly touched his burned face as he scanned about for the source of the attack when all of the sudden one of his men screamed in pain.  
  
Growing increasingly angry, Uragi turned to see a man fall to the ground after a fierce blow from a metal pole. A redheaded girl whirled the pole around to crash into another man's family jewels before giving him a solid whap in the head that sent him joining his friend in the depths of unconsciousness.  
  
"Great work Nami!" A long nosed boy poked his head out from behind a rock not far from Uragi. "Keep at it! Go Killer!"  
  
Nami ducked the butt of a rifle and rolled back, bringing her pole back up before her. "I could use some help, O Brave Warrior!" she snarled out.  
  
"R-right! Burning Star!" The dark skinned boy brought a slingshot into view and fired a round pellet that exploded when it hit the gunman preparing to fire at the girl.  
  
"Oiy! D-don't just stand there, Luffy!" Usopp cried as the remaining henchman rushed towards him. "Help me!"  
  
Nami snapped her pole out and tripped two of the men. "Snap out of it, Stupid!" Her pole dipped down and caught the brim of Luffy's hat and she flung it towards him.  
  
"Guys…" Luffy stared at the two in disbelief. His wide eyes saw the straw hat flying upwards and he instinctively stretched his arm out to pluck it from the air. Placing the hat reverently over his head, the rubber-boy made no move to disguise his spreading grin. "Okay!" he yelled as he slammed his fist into his palm.  
  
Nami grinned in reply as their captain quickly took care of the gunman attacking Usopp. She tripped the remaining two once again before kicking their rifles away. "Usopp! How's Sanji?"  
  
"Still out!" Usopp called back after glancing at the blonde who was lying with the sharpshooter behind the safety of the rock. The cook seemed to be breathing easily, so Usopp wasn't too worried.  
  
"Great!" Nami cried as she slowly backed away from the two men who were now armed with pistols in addition to being very, very angry. "How can he sleep at a time like this?"  
  
"Because I had to hit him harder than the rest." A low voice rumbled from behind her. Nami watched as a streak of silver knocked a pistol across the marsh. The now unarmed man fell back, cursing, as he held his bleeding hand.  
  
The navigator looked back in shock to see Zoro kneeling in the mud, using his remaining sword as a crutch to keep himself upright. The last of the henchmen was soon blasted away from them and suddenly Luffy was at their side.  
  
"Zoro--" Luffy croaked out, unable to say more past the lump in his throat.  
  
Zoro squinted up at his captain with one eye and a crooked grin. "You didn't think I'd die that easy, did you?" Groaning, the swordsman lost his grip on his sword and fell forward but Nami quickly moved in to catch him.  
  
"I've got him!" she yelled at Luffy as she painstakingly lowered the swordsman to the ground. "You go beat up that last guy!" she commanded when Luffy continued to stare at them.  
  
Luffy felt like he was moving through molasses as he nodded mutely. He didn't know how, but his friends were alive again. Luffy stared at the large patch dried blood on Nami's stomach. Maybe they were ghosts.  
  
"Go on." Zoro grunted from below him. "I should have had more faith in you guys from the beginning." The swordsman closed his eyes tiredly as sweat beaded across his rapidly graying face. Nami lightly placed a hand on his chest before glaring up at Luffy.  
  
"You need to beat this guy so we can get Zoro back to the ship and to Tony! Hurry up! Do you want him to bleed to death, moron? Usopp!" Nami called out. "Help me drag Zoro out of the way!"  
  
As if waking from a dream, Luffy snapped out of his daze and fire lit his eyes once more. "I'll finish it in five minutes." The rubber-boy announced. He knelt next to Zoro. "Can you make it that long?"  
  
Zoro's eyes opened a sliver and he snorted before coughing painfully. "Are you trying to insult me?" he rasped.  
  
"Right." Luffy grinned at he jumped back to his feet. Even if they were ghosts, it was nice to have them back. Whirling on his feet, the Straw-Hat captain turned to face a slack-jawed Uragi.  
  
"Impossible! How—" The bounty hunter was practically foaming at the mouth. Luffy shrugged lightly and cracked his neck.  
  
"Who cares. They're here and it seems like you," Luffy pointed to the man's charred face. "Aren't invincible after all."  
  
Uragi fell back a step before rallying himself. He opened his mouth to talk but any words he had to say were cut off by a burning in his mouth much greater than the one that had engulfed his face. Choking and spitting, the dark-haired man fell to the ground.  
  
"Haha! How do you like my Tabasco Star!" Usopp shouted from behind the protection of Nami's back.  
  
The navigator elbowed him away before smirking evilly at the suffering man. "It seem as though turning to goo takes some concentration. It must be hard to do when you don't know where the attacks are coming from."  
  
"You filthy pirates!" Uragi coughed out before his body oozed into a black puddle. The puddle shimmered and shook and suddenly shot towards the two teenagers. "I'll kill you in an instant!" A disembodied voice cried out.  
  
Usopp and Nami both fell back with a shriek at the black liquid enveloped them. But after a moment of probing, the ooze slid back. Uragi reformed about ten meters away, a fearful scowl darkening his features.  
  
"No wounds…" He muttered. "You're not injured in any way…. Not even a papercut!" The bounty hunter screamed shrilly.  
  
"Well I do have this nasty bump on my head thanks to Zoro." Usopp muttered as he rubbed his head tentatively.  
  
"My powers won't affect you unless you have some sort of wound. I saw Zoro strike you both down. I saw the blood. How—" Uragi was thrown backwards by a fist slamming into his jaw. Uragi rolled and skidded backwards and only just prevented himself from falling into sliding into the dark swamp behind him.  
  
"You've got four more minutes to start paying attention." Luffy strode towards him with a lopsided grin. "Or else I'm gonna beatcha up."  
  
Uragi's eyes narrowed as he struggled to his feet in the slippery mud. The bounty hunter slowly pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed at his now bloodied lip. Uragi smiled and the fingernails of his free hand clicked together ominously.  
  
"You, Straw Hat. You are injured." Uragi extended his arm outward as some sort of dark substance dripped from his hand. "If you want something done right, I suppose you have to do it yourself. Say 'Goodbye' Monkey D. Luffy."  
  
"Look, the light up ahead! There they are!" A voice cried out from the darkness. Uragi's eyes widened as two forms shot out of the tree line. A giant man-shaped creature and a…a girl riding a duck?  
  
"Luffy! Duck!" The blue-haired girl called out.  
  
Luffy was about to reply that, yes; he did see a duck when one of Vivi's peacock blades flashed a centimeter from his nose. Yelping, the Rubber-boy dived to the soggy ground as a second blade threatened to take his nose completely off.  
  
Uragi cried out as the blades made contact, one grazing his cheek while the other imbedded itself into his outstretched arm. He tried to back away but the swamp prevented him from going any farther. Cursing, the bounty hunter looked around wildly for any sort of help.  
  
"Horn Point!" Suddenly the man shaped creature transformed into a deer with at least a twelve-point rack sitting monstrously atop his head. Lowering its head, the beast charged him.  
  
This is exactly what wasn't meant to happen, Uragi thought furiously as he dissolved into a puddle. His now muted hearing caught the surprised cry of the charging monster as it crashed into the swamp. Frantic quacking followed after it and by the second splash, Uragi determined the duck had gone in to rescue it.  
  
That left two enemies behind him, and at least four in front. The odds were too risky for a direct confrontation. Uragi began to slither across the ground as he muttered a mental curse. He would have to fall back for now, until he had the upper hand once again.  
  
"Where did he go?" Vivi questioned from beside Luffy, as Carue fished the now tiny Chopper from the depths of the mire. Growling, Luffy started yelling nasty taunts in every direction and jumping into every visible puddle as he tried to get Uragi to resurface. But the bounty hunter was nowhere to be seen.  
  
"We won!" Usopp fell back onto his butt in relief.  
  
"Hey!" Nami snapped. "Keep up the pressure on your end!" She gestured to where Usopp had let go of the sodden remains of what used to be Nami's shirt, but was now a makeshift patch on one of Zoro's numerous wounds. Nami herself was busy applying pressure on the other half of the cloth as she tried vainly to stem the flow of blood from the swordsman's right shoulder. Snapping to his senses, Usopp quickly resumed holding the rag over Zoro's left side.  
  
Zoro gave a pained groan and Nami shook her head. "How do you get into this kind of shape?" she asked when the swordsman sent a bleary gaze her way. "I think I should let you bleed to death for ruining my favorite shirt. It cost eight hundred beli you know." The redhead forced herself to laugh as she met Usopp's worried gaze. "Not to mention you deserve a few good knocks on the head for the ones you gave us." She managed to choke out in a nearly normal voice.  
  
"Mr. Bushido!" Vivi gasped out as she saw Zoro lying on the ground. Nami's body was blocking her view of the full extent of the damage to the green-haired pirate, so Vivi stepped in for a closer look.  
  
"I think you should go help Sanji, Vivi." Usopp suddenly called out. "He's unconscious behind that rock over there."  
  
"He's right, Vivi." Nami added. "You better make sure he's not seriously hurt." The redhead's voice caught a bit at the end of that sentence.  
  
Nodding slowly, Vivi backed away, unable to shake the idea that they were shielding something from her. As she turned away she saw that Luffy had quit screaming into the darkness and was now walking slowly towards the others, as if he didn't really want to go to them.  
  
A few relieved quacks off to her left told her that Carue had succeeded in pulling Chopper from the swamp. Shaking off the irrational fear welling inside her, the princess kneeled next to Sanji and attempted to shake him awake.  
  
In this time Chopper had rushed past Luffy and over to where the others continued to fight to keep Zoro conscious. Reaching their side, he sucked in an in drawn breath. It was worse than he feared. The doctor's small hooves gently prodded Zoro's body, raising an eyelid here and feeling for fever there.  
  
"How many times was he shot?" The reindeer fought to keep the whimper from his voice.  
  
Usopp shook his head. "We were unconscious at the time. I--I see three holes from the f-front but I think he may have been shot from behind so I don't know so tell me Chopper he'sgonnabeallrightright?" Usopp asked in a rush before taking a deep breath. "I mean, he's not the type of person to die from three measly gunshot wounds, right?" Chopper could tell the sharpshooter was fighting down his panic.  
  
"Five." Luffy's voice floated down from behind them, eerily calm. "He was shot five times."  
  
Nami gasped as the body below her began to shake. Chopper jumped to his feet in horror. "He's convulsing!"  
  
"I can't…believe…you had time…to count…." Zoro tried desperately to breathe as his laughter caused a fresh wave of blood to bubble up his throat.  
  
Almost falling over in relief, Chopper shook his head. "His injuries are too serious to operate on here. I need to get him back to the ship. I still have a couple of minutes left until the Rumble Ball's effects wear off. That will be the fastest way." Chopper closed his eyes and returned to his man form, only with the leg muscles much more pronounced than normal. "Leg point…." He whispered.  
  
Usopp nodded and helped wrestle the cumbersome swordsman onto the reindeer's back.  
  
"Hey Reindeer!" Chopper glance down at the hand on his arm. He followed the line of pink skin to the hand's owner. Luffy's eyes stared back at him, steadily.  
  
"Take care of my swordsman."  
  
Chopper's eyes watered as he nodded frantically. Luffy let go his hold and the doctor immediately shot off into the night with his charge.  
  
"Carue!" Usopp called out suddenly. "Can you follow him?"  
  
Running up, Carue nodded and Usopp jumped onto his back. Surprised, Nami half-rose to her feet. "Wait! What can you hope to do?" she reasoned.  
  
Usopp grabbed the duck's reins as he glanced back briefly. "Whatever I can." And with a flick of the wrist, they both disappeared into the darkness.  
  
ooVVVoo  
  
Gomu Gomu no Whip -I debated awhile on this, and decided to keep the essence of Luffy's fighting moves in English. To save both myself, and you the reader, from search the end of the chapter for the translation.  
  
Twelve point rack- A hunter's term form how many prongs are on each horn. Twelve points it pretty large.


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Loyalties

Author: AstroKender

Pairings: nothing clean cut. You can pretty much see what you want to see.  
Warnings: Blood...lots of blood. and some gore...and a bit o'language. Spoilers: Not really.  
Notes: Arghh...I've discovered that I like names like 'Nami-san' a lot better than 'Miss Nami'. But I'm not going to change it now, so bear with me. This chapter was meant to make up for having Sanji knocked out for so long, but Usopp somehow stole the stage. Sanji goodness next chapter, I promise!  
Feedback: or use the comment bar at the bottom of the screen.  
Archived: Ask and ye will probably receive.  
Disclaimers: I don't own One Piece or it's affiliates. This fic is written for entertainment purposes only and is not meant for sale. Don't sue.  
  
Chapter 6  
  
"Hand me that scalpel—Wait! Wash your hands first!"  
  
"Keep up the pressure on his leg. Depending on where the bullet hit, he could bleed to death before we can get the more serious wounds sewn up."  
  
"He's losing too much blood! We have to turn him over!"  
  
Beads of sweat ran rivers down Usopp's face as he struggled to follow Chopper's orders. His stomach churned as a sickening squelch sound was heard when the two of them rolled Zoro onto his stomach. There was just so much blood. Usopp's hands were covered with it. It dripped off the wobbly table they were working on and onto the floor, making it treacherous to move about. The sharpshooter tried not to freak out as Chopper prodded at one of Zoro's wounds and a new stream of blood spurt out.  
  
"Usopp! I said hand me that scalpel!"  
  
Usopp swallowed the bile rising in his throat and quickly did as he was told. He watched squeamishly as Chopper cut into Zoro'' shoulder, searching for a bullet that had left no exit wound. As he worked, the reindeer kept up a murmur of commentary in a dispassionate voice. Judging from the host of medical jargon, Usopp reckoned that the doctor was doing it more out of habit than trying to appraise the sharpshooter of the situation.  
  
"It looks like there were indeed five shots; the first of which passed harmlessly through the trapezius, missing the clavicle and the cartariod artery. The second bullet appears to be imbedded into the right scapula, causing no serious damage." Chopper muttered to himself as he attempted to pry the bullet free with a pair of wicked looking tongs.  
  
"That's good, I think…" Usopp chuckled hesitantly.  
  
Chopper nodded and, with a final pull, managed to yank the bullet free. Examining the projectile, the reindeer's eyes widened. "This is no ordinary ammunition." He stated as he tossed the offending shrapnel into an empty pan.  
  
Looking down at the bladed musket, Usopp felt a shiver run up his spine. His tan skin grew pale as he wondered just who could possibly create such a sinister weapon. A shot like that could pierce even the toughest of armor—it could even pierce rubber. Usopp's eyes widened as bit and pieces of conversation from earlier that day flitted through his head. Just maybe Zoro had gotten these wounds by—  
  
Chopper mistook the strain tightening Usopp's face as worry and was quick to offer his reassurance, unwittingly destroying the dark-haired boy's train of thought.  
  
"Usopp, you're familiar with ammo, right? Whoever made this didn't know much about guns because adding a blade like that would greatly slow down the speed of the bullet." The doctor explained and Usopp nodded hesitantly in agreement. "Not to mention a round bullet with a heavy point would hardly fly straight with any accuracy. Zoro's wounds are not as bad as they seem. Look, his leg has already stopped bleeding."  
  
Usopp looked down at where he held Zoro's shirt, which had to be cut off, against the wound in the swordsman's leg. "You're right." He smiled. Indeed, no fresh blood seemed to be staining the green-haired man's haramaki, which was pressing against the exit hole on the opposite side.  
  
"The fourth bullet punched cleanly through his side. There may be some damage to his left kidney but, barring infection, it shouldn't be life threatening." Chopper stated as he swiftly sewed up the wound. Glancing at Zoro's bloodstained back, he frowned. "It's the last bullet I'm worried about."  
  
"Why is that?" Usopp looked up worriedly from trying to wipe off some of the crimson liquid from the swordsman's skin, which felt unnaturally hot for having lost so much blood.  
  
"It seems to have entered from an angle into the ventral cavity." Chopper pointed to the wound midway down Zoro's back. "There is no exit wound which means the bullet probably ricocheted off of one of his ribs, possibly causing extensive internal injuries."  
  
Wiping his forehead with the back of his hand, Usopp's brow furrowed in confusion. "So, what does that mean?"  
  
The reindeer gazed up at him, his expression troubled. "The bullet is still in there, somewhere."  
  
"What are you waiting for, then? Get it out!" Usopp demanded with a scowl. He was hot and exhausted and afraid and all of these feelings combined to make the sharpshooter more irritable than usual.  
  
Chopper suddenly felt all the worry and frustration well up inside him and the little reindeer automatically lashed out. "I can't just cut around until I find it, dumbass! That would just make things worse!"  
  
"Then what can you do, Doctor?" Usopp shouted back, his voice laced with sarcasm on the last word.  
  
"I—I--" Stuttering, Chopper whimpered before hanging his head. "I don't know. I'm sorry. I just don't have the equipment I need to perform an operation like this. I'm sorry." He repeated.  
  
Usopp looked down at the desolate figure and immediately felt a rush of shame flood through him. He Chopper was, trying to save one of their comrade's life, and all Usopp could do was yell at him. The sharpshooter carefully walked around the table where Zoro's unconscious form lay and over to where the reindeer stood. Smiling apologetically, Usopp knelt down, uncaring of the blood that soaked into his overalls.  
  
"Listen, Chopper. I know you can do this. You were taught by two of the greatest doctors in the world, right?"  
  
The little reindeer looked up, tears welling up in his round eyes. "Even if I get the bullet out, he is probably going to die anyway. Whatever poison that's in his system has almost run its course."  
  
Usopp reared back in shock. "Poison?" He asked as Zoro's words from right before the long-nosed boy was knocked out echoed in his head.  
  
'I've been hired to kill you. If I don't, I won't live to see the sun set tomorrow.'  
  
"He mentioned something about it this morning," Chopper sniffled. "But I didn't know he was talking about himself until we got him back to the ship. Fever, increased rate of breathing, pin-point pupils…Whatever toxin is in his body is killing him inch by inch."  
  
'As if being shot nearly half a dozen times wasn't enough.' Usopp thought to himself wearily before he shook the worried thoughts from his head. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. It won't do any good to worry about a drought when you're trying to survive a flood. For now, let's just do what we can." He stood up and looked over at Zoro. "Now think, is there any way to find out where exactly that bullet is?"  
  
The doctor quickly realized that Usopp was right. They would tend to Zoro's wounds first and then the reindeer could work on trying to detoxify the swordsman's system. Chopper knocked his hoof against his head softly as his brow furrowed in thought. Within moments, however, his expression brightened. "The seventh level transformation; Brain Point! With it I should be able to see the bullet!"  
  
Usopp grinned and clapped the reindeer on the back so hard that it almost knocked him over. "That's great!" he exclaimed.  
  
"But," Chopper's face showed a good amount of hesitancy. "I don't know the effects of taking two Rumble Balls within such a short amount of time from each other. There is a good possibility that it could render me immobile…or maybe worse."  
  
Usopp stared at the small doctor helplessly, unable to tell Chopper to possibly risk his life to save Zoro. On the other hand, the reindeer was probably Zoro's only hope for survival. The sharpshooter bit his lip as he studied Chopper carefully. Chopper had only been with them for a short time. Were the ties they developed strong enough to sway the doctor's indecision?  
  
"I'm sorry, Usopp," Chopper whispered and the dark-haired boy's heart sunk.  
  
"But do you think you can follow my directions if for some reason there is a significant side effect from the rumble ball?"  
  
Usopp's eyes widened as he stared at Chopper's now determined face. Elation and fear warred within him as his eyes slid over to Zoro's still form. Zoro, who had saved him more times than he could count. Zoro, whom Chopper was prepared to risk his life for. Zoro, whose fate now rested on Usopp's shoulders.  
  
"N-no problem." Usopp smiled waveringly. "What do I need to do?"  
  
Chopper gave him a small smile in return before his eyes turned serious. "You'll have to follow my instruction's precisely. Now, here is what you need to do…."  
  
Usopp listened to the reindeer intently, doing his best to appear totally confident as he clasped his hands behind his back to hide how badly they shook.  
  
OOVVVVVOO  
  
"Mr. Sanji…Mr. Sanji, please wake up."  
  
Two eyes blinked open behind a wave of messy blond hair and Sanji gave a bleary grin. "Ahh, a beautiful angel has come to take me to heaven…" he sighed dreamily.  
  
Vivi gasped and began to frantically slap the cook's face. "No, Mr. Sanji! Do go with her. Hang on! Don't go towards the light!"  
  
"Owowow—OW!" Sanji sat up suddenly and desperately shielded his face. "Ah…I meant you, Princess." The blonde said sheepishly through the crack of his arms.  
  
Vivi sat back in relief. "You're not seriously injured, are you?" she asked, just to make sure.  
  
"Princess Vivi's slaps are a blessing to this unworthy soul!" Sanji rubbed his swollen face as hearts danced in his eyes. "You may slap me anytime…anywhere you want!" The cooks smile turned a bit perverse and Vivi quickly jumped to he feet as she waved he hands in a swift negating motion.  
  
"I meant from the fight, Mr. Sanji."  
  
"Fight?" The blonde's face turned serious as he tried to piece together the events before he was knocked out. A stab of pain brought his attention to his torso where he felt a long welt crossing his chest. The welt rubbed uncomfortably across the inside of Sanji's suit. His favorite blue suit, which was now stained black with dried blood. Realization struck like lightning and Sanji scowled.  
  
"That bastard…."  
  
Ignoring Vivi's questioning stare, Sanji painstakingly rose to his feet as he did his best to dust off his mangled clothes. Flashbacks of the fight with the green-haired swordsman rolled through his head like a series of film negatives. Rapidly flying feet, the eerie gleam of sword blades in the sunset, Nami lying in a corning, unconscious…or worse.  
  
Nami…  
  
"Shit!" Sanji's head shot up as panic filled him. Brushing past Vivi, the blonde stepped into unfamiliar surroundings. His eyes darted frantically across a small clearing until finally coming to rest on a kneeling figure about a quarter of the way towards a large swamp. The darkness of the night was only slightly banished by a small string of lanterns and the blue glow of moonlight, but Sanji would recognize that figure even if it were pitch black.  
  
"Nami…." Sanji exhaled the name as he would a lung-full of cigarette smoke. His legs took two stunted steps before he found himself running across the clearing, despite the ache in his chest.  
  
"Miss Nami! Are you okay? You're not hurt are you?" Sanji kneeled next to the redhead as fear suddenly paralyzed his speech. Dark splashes of what could only be blood spattered over the navigator's skin, most of it coating her thin arms and saturating her shapely hands and deft fingers.  
  
At his yell, Nami looked up as she ran the back of her hand over her eyes, unknowingly leaving a smear of crimson on her cheek. The redhead smiled at Sanji tremulously before rising to her feet. She looked around in a daze as she idly tried to wipe her hands off on her pants.  
  
"I'm fine, Sanji. I just…I hate guns, you know?"  
  
Confused, Sanji watched her stand and suddenly noticed something that seized his heart in a tight grip, threatening to make it explode into a million sparkling pieces. "Miss Nami…"  
  
The navigator looked over distractedly. "What?"  
  
"You don't have a shirt on!" Sanji's heart throbbed out of his chest as he beheld his gorgeous Miss Nami in noting but tan capris and a lacy blue bra. Sanji's fingers itched to touch that pale skin that glowed like marble in the moonlight. Hearts taking over his eyes, the blonde tiptoed closer, his hands outstretched.  
  
A fist quickly slammed into his already sore chin. "Back off!" Nami barked out with her teeth gleaming, sharp as a shark's.  
  
Sanji was saved from further masochism by the appearance of their captain. Luffy's straw hat was titled low over his face, hiding most of his expression. In his hands he held two awfully familiar swords. Sanji frowned, his hands automatically darting into his pocket for a half-crushed cigarette. He watched carefully as Nami's expression bled into one of sheer exhaustion.  
  
"I couldn't only find the two," Luffy muttered. "I think that grease guy has the other."  
  
Nami nodded and ran a hand through her hair, wincing as it was quickly entangled in a mass of snarls. "We should head back to the ship to get cleaned up and to see if Tony needs any help." Her eyes caught Luffy's and a smile forced its way onto her face. "Though, he might be done already and just waiting to tell us the good news!" she added quickly.  
  
Luffy stared at he for a long moment before breaking into a wide smile that caused his eyes to curve up like crescent moons. "You're right. Maybe they are even cooking dinner!" The rubber boy ignored Sanji's sudden scowl at the mention of someone else using his kitchen.  
  
"Nami, where is Carue?" Vivi asked in confusion as she walked up behind them. "And Mr. Bushido and the others? They didn't go after that man without us, did they?"  
  
Sanji looked at the others, a frown marring his handsome features. "What 'man'? What exactly is going on?"  
  
The smile suddenly left their captain's face and he suddenly faced away from them as he peered intently into the night. Staring at Luffy's silent form, Nami sighed. The navigator looked up to the stars for a moment to get her bearings, before she began to walk out of the clearing. "Come on," she waved over her shoulder. "I'll fill you in as best as I can while we walk."  
  
OOVVVOO  
  
"Nghnnn…"  
  
Usopp nearly jumped out of his skin at the swordsman's moan. Panicked eyes held in by the iron and glass of the sharpshooter's goggles darted quickly over to meet Chopper's worried gaze. On the table between them, Zoro stirred once more; his forehead lined with marks of pain.  
  
"The anesthesia is wearing off. You'll have to work more quickly, Usopp."  
  
Sweating, the dark-haired boy shook his head. "C-Can't you just give him some more?" he pleaded.  
  
"Ngh…No. We didn't have enough time to set the equipment up properly—ah! We would be carelessly endangering Zoro's life if we…nuuhh…if we tried to put him under again." Chopper panted the words out as he fought to remain conscious. "Besides, there is only ninety-four s-seconds left until the R-rumble Ball's effect ends."  
  
Despite the press of time, Usopp spared the doctor a worried glance. The reindeer was standing tenuously on a wobbly stood next to the table. His front hooves were pressed together firmly, creating a small window in which Chopper stared through as beads of perspiration dotted his fur.  
  
The Rumble Ball had indeed effected the doctor adversely and Usopp winced at every audible creak of the reindeer's bones; at every pop of his joints. The rumble ball was straining Chopper's body to its limits and it was a testament to the small animal's strength of will that he hadn't already collapsed.  
  
"Eighty-two seconds…what are you waiting for? Make the incision!" Chopper's strained voice barked out.  
  
Usopp blinked and, heaving a shuddering breath, turned his head back to the small line drawn on Zoro's stomach, right below the rib cage. Taking a clean scalpel, Usopp slowly traced that line, making sure to go deep enough to penetrate the muscle and diaphragm, as per Chopper's instructions. Blood welled up slowly from the cut and the sharpshooter gave his makeshift patient a sympathetic wince. Once the task was completed, Usopp allowed the knife to drop from nerveless fingers where it landed with a clatter on the floor before skittering under the table.  
  
"Sixty-seven seconds." The enormity of the task before his caught up to the Long-nosed boy and revulsion clenched its firm hands around his stomach. "I can't do this…" Usopp whispered, taking a step backwards.  
  
"You have to. There isn't any other way."  
  
"B-But—" Usopp's breaths were coming out in small, panting gasps as the sharpshooter found himself on the verge of hyperventilating.  
  
"He's gonna die, Usopp! Doctor's don't abandon a patient on the operating table!"  
  
"I'm not a doctor!" Usopp cried out. His fists clenched tightly as he retreated yet another step.  
  
"The minute you picked up that scalpel," Chopper growled through a haze of anger and pain. "You became a doctor for this man….nhhh…You always talk about how brave you are—well prove it! He's your friend, isn't he?"  
  
Usopp's mouth worked, but no sound came out as he stared at the reindeer in stunned silence. Tears brimmed his eyes, held back only by the seal of his goggles. One stark question pounded through the sharpshooter's brain as he struggled for something to say.  
  
'If it were Zoro, do you think he would hesitate to do this for you?' A voice in Usopp's head asked quietly.  
  
Chopper watched in relief as resolution took the place of the tears in Usopp's eyes and his feet lead him to stand once more beside the table. "I ain't gonna run away." Usopp stated firmly as he raised his left-hand and slowly inserted his fingers into the incision he had just made.  
  
"Okay," Usopp dimly registered Chopper's voice as he watched his hand sink further into Zoro's body. "Be careful not to jar the liver. Try to slip in behind it…that's it…we've got twenty seconds for me to guide you to the bullet, that's plenty of time so don't get too rushed."  
  
Usopp grimaced as, with only a little resistance, his hand disappeared up to the wrist. His blood pounded in his ears as he struggled to blindly feel his way around Zoro's organs, knowing that one wrong move could be fatal for the former bounty hunter. Usopp's fingertips brushed against an irregularly textured surface and he fought back the bile that churned his stomach.  
  
"I think I've reached the right lung." He stated between clenched teeth. "Now what?"  
  
Chopper nodded and, fighting off an increasing wave of dizziness, stared intently through the window of his hooves as he waited for that little something that would reconfirm the bullet's position. The reindeer's muscles felt as if they were on fire, which threatened to dissolve his concentration. But sheer will persevered and a faint glow behind Chopper's eyes created a sort of diagram of Zoro's torso.  
  
"It shouldn't be but a few inches further. It grazed the lung about halfway up, near the center of the thoratic cavity…. But be careful," Chopper hissed as he wobbled on suddenly unstable legs. "If you cause the bullet to fully puncture his lung, Zoro will drown in his own…." Usopp's head shot up as Chopper fell back unexpectedly.  
  
"Chopper? Hey, Chopper!" Usopp couldn't see Chopper from his side of the table and the reindeer wasn't answering. Chopper couldn't give him any more instructions, which resulted in Zoro's fate resting wholly on the sharpshooter's quivering shoulders.

Fighting down his panic, Usopp looked down to where he was nearly elbow-deep into Zoro's body. Swallowing uneasily, the sharpshooter carefully pushed his arm in further as his fingertips danced along Zoro's lung. He could feel the organ compress and expand as air slowly filled it, only to be released again. Usopp's eyes never left the swordsman's chest as it rose and fell, as if the dark-haired boy could penetrate the shield of skin and muscle by willpower alone.  
  
It could have been minutes or hours that passed until Usopp's middle finger hit something solid and decidedly alien to Zoro's body. Biting his lip so hard that blood ran unknowingly down his chin, Usopp strained carefully forward until his fingers brushed that something once again.  
  
Gently, oh so gently, the sharpshooter tugged on the slick, round pellet. The bullet gave a few millimeters and Usopp let it go, before extending his fingers to grasp the object further up. Blood-soaked fingers scrabbled for purchase on the bullet's slick surface before the index finger caught on something sharp and thin that evoked a small wince on Usopp's face as he brushed against it. Despite this pinprick of pain, Usopp painstakingly worked the bullet downwards until the deadly projectile was enclosed safely in his closing palm.  
  
Now that the danger of inadvertently cutting Zoro was gone, the dark-haired boy slowly inched his arm out into open air. He didn't even dare to breathe as more and more blood-soaked skin appeared. With a final, wet plop, Usopp's fist emerged.  
  
Panting as if he had run a marathon, Usopp forced his hand to unclench around the bullet as he dropped it into the pan with the first one Chopper had taken out of the swordsman's shoulder. His hand throbbed with pain, but the sharpshooter couldn't tell if he were bleeding or not. Not that it would matter, in comparison. Usopp took a quick peak over the table to make sure Chopper was okay and saw the reindeer was unconscious, but breathing peacefully.  
  
Taking deep breaths to quell his urge to vomit, Usopp fought the urge to rub his face and released a shuddering sigh. He didn't know what exactly was keeping him from just collapsing across Zoro's chest and joining the two in their dark sleep but, whatever it was, told the dark-skinned boy that he wasn't finished with his task.  
  
"I still have to sew you up, don't I?" Usopp asked the pale face below him. "Don't worry, it could be worse. It could be Luffy doing it." His words were lighter than his body felt at the moment, but the long-nosed boy couldn't help the small upturn of his lips as his hand reached out to rest reassuringly on the swordsman's shoulder.  
  
A large hand gripped his wrist, however, before he could reach his destination. A terrified yelp escaped Usopp's throat as his eyes met Zoro's own. Being the focus of the green-haired man's intense, though slightly unfocused stare, had Usopp frozen in place as his heart hammered in his throat.  
  
"…thanks…" Zoro croaked out.  
  
"You were awake!?" Usopp choked in horror.  
  
Smiling, Zoro released his grip on the sharpshooter's wrist. "…Tired…gonna sleep…" Usopp watched incredulously as the swordsman closed his eyes and quietly began to snore. Usopp slowly his head while again fighting that urge to just pass out and leave this business for those with stronger stomachs. Heaving yet another shaky sigh, Usopp grabbed a nearby spool of thread and very gently began to sew Zoro's wounds closed.  
  
OOVVVOO  
  
"Let me get this straight…" Sanji blew a cloud of smoke up into the night air. "Zoro knocked us out, covered us in blood—from some sort of water-skin, you believe," he inclined his head towards Nami. "And pretended to kill us all for some guy who has Devil's Fruit powers that can turn him into oil."  
  
"Grease." Luffy piped up from ahead.  
  
"Some sort of liquid," Nami grit out as she glared at the back of the straw hat. "That can do something to you if you are injured."  
  
"Right." Sanji's cigarette wiggled up and down in agitation. "But why did that lame-brain do all this? What possessed him to act even stupider than normal."  
  
Nami sighed as she forced her tired legs to keep moving forward. "You're right. All of his actions up to now have been out of character for Zoro. There must be something up." The redhead idly chewed on a fingernail as she tried to fit together pieces of an incomplete puzzle.  
  
"He must know something that we don't." Vivi suddenly spoke up for the first time since they began their trek back to the ship. "For some reason he thought that guy was a threat and was trying to protect you from him."  
  
"Ch." Sanji snorted. "Who asked for his protection?" the blonde peevishly kicked at a pebble in front of his feet. Beside him, Nami frowned.  
  
"It's true, he didn't look that dangerous, but…." She trailed off as she remembered Zoro's blood covered body. Zoro didn't bleed like that fighting just anyone. Staring at Luffy's back she wondered, not for the first time, just exactly what happened while she was unconscious. Her eyes trailed over to the rubber-man's arm.  
  
As if sensing her thoughts, Vivi let out a small gasp. "Mr. Luffy, you're bleeding!" The princess reached over to touch the black bandage covering Luffy's upper arm where two small streams of blood were trickling down.  
  
"Don't touch it!" Luffy slapped her hand away before adding, more calmly. "It's fine."  
  
Vivi did her best to hide her hurt as her steps slowed and the dark-haired boy passed her. "But isn't that Mr. Bushi—"  
  
Nami put a hand on the blue-haired girl's shoulder and shook her head in warning. Worried brown eyes flashed towards her captain before she gave Vivi a gentle push forward.  
  
"We're almost to the ship." She sent a small smile over to the princess. "We'll be on our way to Alabasta by morning."  
  
Vivi smiled weakly back as she surreptitiously rubbed the hand that had been struck. The four walked in silence for awhile until they noticed a large trail of sand leading back towards the center of the island. A faint glow could be seen in the distance, confirming the way back to town.  
  
As they reached this fork in the path, Sanji stopped, tossing the butt of his smoke to the ground.  
  
"I think I'll meet up with you guys later." He said as he ground out the cigarette with his shoe. "I'm gonna head back to town for a bit."  
  
"Huh? Why?" Nami asked, surprised.  
  
"My throat's dry. It could use a drink." The blonde began walking down the alternate trail. "Besides, we still have supplies to pick up from the inn. Don't worry, I'll be back before morning." He called back before being lost in the darkness.  
  
"Sanji, wait!" Nami took a step forward before glancing back at the others. "Luffy, do something." She half pleaded, half demanded.  
  
But Luffy just stared at her silently, as he held Zoro's swords to his chest. On his face was that familiar non-expression with an underlay of stubbornness stronger than any steel. Realizing that no amount of arguing would sway him; Nami heaved an exasperated sigh. With one glance back to where their cook had disappeared, the redhead stomped her way past her two remaining companions.  
  
"Men," she growled. "I swear your pigheadedness is going to kill you all one of these days." She predicted darkly.  
  
OOVVVVVOO 


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Loyalties

Author: AstroKender

Pairings: nothing clean cut. You can pretty much see what you want to see.   
Warnings: A bit o language here. Sanji has a dirty mouth.

Spoilers: Not really.   
Notes: No much action in this one I'm afraid. It's basically plot filler until all the characters (namely, Zoro) are up and conscious again. Bear with it and I promise some yummy fighting scenes in the next chapter!   
Feedback: or use the comment bar at the bottom of the screen.   
Archived: Ask and ye will probably receive.   
Disclaimers: I don't own One Piece or it's affiliates. This fic is written for entertainment purposes only and is not meant for sale. Don't sue.

Chapter 7

Sanji regretfully dropped the butt of his last cigarette to the ground before pushing open the bulky door of the Swampwater's Brew. Narrow eyes darted warily across the common room as the blonde reflexively straightened his ruined suit; appearance was always a priority, even in battle. Seeing that the bar's large common room was void of life caused Sanji's lips to pull down in an annoyed frown. It wasn't that late at night that there wouldn't be some stragglers still drowning in their mugs. Long legs took a few quick strides towards the bar and the cook tossed a holler towards the rooms beyond.

"We're closed for the night," a voice called out from the left, in the direction of the kitchen. A plump form made its appearance, lugging a very large and battered trashcan. "Please come back tomo—" The man that Sanji recognized as the owner glanced up from his burden. "Oh it's you, the Cook." Puffy eyes trailed over Sanji's rumpled form. "By Roger's ears," the man cursed. "What happened to ya?"

Suppressing a sigh, Sanji dragged a hand through his hair lazily. "Dunno. I think I must have tripped." He said woodenly, as if he weren't covered in dried blood.

"Tripped through a gator's jaws maybe…" The barkeep stared at the pirate skeptically before sitting the trashcan down with a groan. "When Mr. Uragi says not to go out, ya don't go out." He wagged a pudgy finger at the boy. "Common sense, really."

Sanji's fingers trailed idly through his goatee as his hand twitched involuntarily, used to the customary roll of tobacco nestled between the first and second digit. "Hmm, must've missed that notice…" he chuckled wryly. Not waiting for an invitation he wasn't likely to receive, the blonde sat himself on a rickety stool in front of the bar.

The balding man shook his head resignedly and muttered something about kids and their brash decisions before he jerked a thumb back towards the kitchen. "Yer stuff's all back there where ya left it. Please be sure to shut the door good and hard on yer way out, the latch don't always catch." Meaty hand got a firm grip on the garbage once again.

"Thank you but, I don't suppose I could maybe have a bit of a drink before I leave?" Sanji flashed an innocent grin as he idly twirled a coaster across the bar's well-polished surface. "One last toast before shipping out?"

Beady eyes narrowed and the man was silent a long moment, judging the rumpled figure in front of him. "Fine." The barkeep heaved a weary sigh. "But I'm busy cleaning up so you'll hafta go and serve yerself. And don't think that ya won't hafta pay, neither. Sorry, but I don't run no charity."

"That's fine. Thank you for your trouble." Sanji flashed his winning smile once more and the barkeep snorted before hefting his burden up and disappearing through the back door.

Sanji made no move to leave his seat as he stared broodingly at the line of cheap liquor bottles across from him. He didn't know what he had been hoping to accomplish by returning to the bar. All he knew was that everyone was upset-- even Luffy-- and that it was all that bastard cabbage-head's fault.

Nami had stated in not so many words that the big idiot had been hurt pretty badly, which made Sanji even more angry.

"Stupid asshole…" Sanji snapped. "Who said we needed his protection?"

The blonde felt like he was being forced to watch something he didn't understand, and that pissed him off. It was much like watching Zoro's fight with that Hawk-eyes guy; a fight that took on some deeper level of meaning beyond the simple clashing of swords. It made Sanji feel stupid and, most of all, useless.

You see, Luffy may have the utmost of faith in his sword-wielding partner, blindly expecting Zoro to overcome every obstacle and skirmish, but Sanji….

Sanji knew that under all that muscle and pure stubbornness, Zoro was still human. And when your human, no matter how talented you are, there is always going to be someone—somewhere—better than you. It was a fact of life that Sanji had learned to live with, which is why his dream had never been to be the greatest chef in the world. The blonde never pushed himself to surpass his limits; he just wanted to be a chef to the best of his abilities.

So in his eyes, it was fools like Zoro who needed the most taking care of. And Sanji made sure that, on some level, that happened. He didn't mind bailing the green-haired man out in a fight, even though he would surely get yelled at for it afterwards. And if he didn't step in during the fight, a few quick insults afterwards sharply diagnosed the swordsman's condition and made a mental note of what injuries to scoff at-- and thereby inform their companions of. It was a system that worked fine…up until now.

As Sanji sat there and brooded he discreetly observed his surroundings, and became more and more tense as time ticked by. The common room seemed much less inviting with the hearths out and the room empty of patrons. A darkness seemed to hang in the very air, suffocating any light that tried to pierce it. A chill crept up the blonde spine as his eyes peered through the cloudy mirror behind the bottles, scanning the room with a watchful eye. Even though he saw nothing, the cook knew he was not alone.

"Hmm…What shall I have to drink?" Sanji spoke lightly, apparently unaware of his company.

A dusty bottle rose up from behind the counter, apparently of its own violation and Sanji's sharp eyes narrowed behind their shield of golden hair. Two wineglasses soon followed suit and the blonde gave up all pretenses and he shot to his feet.

"Shep keeps all the good bottles under the counter." A low voice intoned and Sanji felt a hot breath rush passed his ear.

VVOOOVV

Luffy wasn't the kind of person to let troubles burden him for long, being a carefree soul by nature. But neither was he the kind of person that didn't understand the value of something important to him. If fact, Luffy's principles were fairly black and white compared to that of the average individual.

To Luffy, there were things that were important to the body, like water and food and then there were things important to the soul, things like family and friends. Right now Zoro's life was at the very top of Luffy's 'important list' and the Straw-hat captain was not going to be able to relax completely until that invisible hand of worry stopped clenching tightly around his chest.

The group reached the waterfront not long after parting ways with Sanji. By now the tide had risen halfway up the sand dune surrounding this portion of the island and even now the waves lapped greedily higher. The Going Merry's silhouette floated gently nearly thirty meters from where they stood. No sign of activity was apparent on board and, looking up and down the sandy hill, the three saw no convenient way to get back to the ship.

"You would have thought that they would have left a rowboat for us." Nami muttered irritably.

"No problem!" Luffy shot her a mischievous grin. Transferring Zoro's swords to his left arm, the rubber-boy pulled his right one backwards. "Gomu Gomu no—"

"Ack, Luffy! Stop!" Nami cried desperately as she latched onto his arm. Luffy gave her a look that said 'I thought you wanted to get to the ship?' and the navigator's eye gave a mighty tic as she struggled to find a viable excuse.

"It probably wouldn't be a good idea to jar the ship, Mr. Luffy." Vivi stated as she too took a hold of the rubber-boy's arm. "What if Tony is still treating Mr. Bushido?"

Luffy lowered his arm and Nami gave a sigh of relief before shooting Vivi a grateful smile. The redhead didn't relish the idea of flying through the air like that; Luffy did it enough to the others for the navigator to get the idea that the landings hurt. Plus, Vivi had brought up a good point. Zoro was injured enough without them carelessly adding to it.

"We'll just have to swim." Vivi added cheerfully and Nami suddenly wished she had let Luffy fling them like shot puts(1).

Just then a clamor of frantic quacking turned their attention behind them, towards the main road to town. Carue had been apparently pacing the uneven surface worriedly as he waited for their return. The spot-billed duck had caught sight of them, however, and was now flapping frantically towards them.

"Carue!" Vivi embraced her companion happily before pulling back. "How are the others doing?"

Carue shook his head and Luffy felt that invisible hand tighten, until Vivi translated the bird's gesture. "He doesn't know. He stayed on the island to wait for us."

Luffy turned to stare once again at the Going Merry, impatience and dread warring within him. The dark-haired boy shook his head at the unwanted feelings. Zoro could take care of himself after all, he told himself. Still, that tightness in his chest remained.

"—will take you across." Luffy caught the tail end of Vivi's words.

"Huh?"

Nami glared at him, exasperated, as she struggled to pull off her sandals. "She said you can ride Carue across the water to the ship. We unfortunately," she gestured to the princess and herself. "Have the luxury of getting to swim."

"Oh, okay!" The rubber-boy grinned and jumped onto the duck's back. "Gitti-up!" Luffy crowed as he slammed his heels into Carue's flanks, resulting in pained squawk from the poor bird. "Eh-heh-heh, Sorry." Luffy scratched at the back of his head ruefully. Carue gave a miffed quack before gliding skillfully into the water, slicing easily through the rolling waves.

It seemed to take forever to reach the Going Merry, as Carue seemed content to keep his pace with the two swimmers wading slowly behind them. Luffy watched with wide and solemn eyes as the distance between the ship and themselves gradually disappeared. The captain tightened his grip on Zoro's swords as he wondered why Usopp wasn't waving cheerfully at them from the main deck. For all appearances, the Going Merry looked deserted.

Luffy's patience had snapped by the time that Carue reached the hull of the ship. Without waiting for the others, he shot a hand out to grasp the rail and flung himself up to land lightly on the abandoned deck. Ignoring the faint protest of the girls from the water, he looked slowly about the ship. The Going Merry was dark and ominously silent.

Sandals flapped noisily across the deck and towards the helm. Bursting through the door, Luffy looked around the empty kitchen. The lights were out. No dinner was prepared. Squaring his shoulders, the dark-haired boy darted back outside and threw open the second door, the one that led down into the ship's body.

Luffy slowly descended the stairs, the trek easy in its familiarity even in the total darkness. He slipped once however, upon entering the hall, and quickly steadied himself with a firm grip on the wall. Crouching down, Luffy reached out to touch the substance that had nearly made him fall. Bringing a finger of the sticky substance to his lips, the rubber-boy's tongue darted out.

Blood.

A deep frown imbedded itself on Luffy's face, invisible in the darkness. So this is where Chopper's seven level transformation must have given out, forcing them to drag Zoro's heavy form the rest of the way.

Glancing up ahead, Luffy could just make out a sliver of light creeping out from underneath the door on the far right and a dark smear that lead to it. Faster than the blink of an eye, the dark-haired boy was suddenly in front of that door. No sounds were audible behind the thick slab of wood so Luffy took a deep breath and quickly shoved the door open.

"Ow! Watch it—Luffy?" Usopp dragged himself up from behind the door where he had collapsed in exhaustion. Rubbing his injured nose, the sharpshooter sent his captain a harsh glare. "You shouldn't just barge in like that, you'll wake Chopper…." Usopp trailed off when he realized that the rubber-boy wasn't even listening to him.

Luffy stared critically at the figure on the table, carefully monitoring each shallow breath exhaled by the deathly-pale face.

"We got the bullets out," Usopp offered hesitantly from behind him, unwilling and unable to give anymore reassurance than that.

Luffy showed no sigh of having heard him as two quick strides brought him to Zoro's side. As if sensing his captain's presence, one tired eye twitched reluctantly open. Luffy smiled and lifted the green-haired man's katanas up for inspection.

"You left these." The rubber-boy stated simply. He carefully placed the two swords beside their owner. When Zoro didn't respond Luffy poked rudely at the man's forehead. "You alive?"

Zoro's other eye shot open. "Can't a guy sleep around here?" his words rumbled out from his chest. Luffy grinned and the swordsman flash a tiny smile in return. "I'm alive. Now leave me alone…" The two eyes shut firmly once more.

Luffy stared down at his companion for another moment before heaving a gigantic, relieved sigh and plopping down on a stool beside his friend. Grinning to himself, he finally glanced over at Usopp. Luffy eyebrows rose at the sharpshooter's disheveled appearance.

"What happened to you?"

Rolling his eyes, Usopp shoved Luffy off the bench and sat himself down with a weary sigh. "Don't ask." He muttered.

Luffy looked around from his new seat on the floor, which smelled of soap and something metallic. A pile of rags lay in a limp heap in the corner of the room, their rust-colored stains standing out in the dim lamplight.

"Chopper?" the captain suddenly asked.

"He's resting in the guy's cabin with a cold washcloth and one heck of a headache." Usopp answered groggily as he attempted to rub the dark circle out from underneath his eyes. "I'm suppose to wake him up soon. He said he wanted to talk to you and—" Usopp gave Luffy a bleary glance before shooting to his feet. "Luffy, why didn't you tell me you were freaking hurt?" the sharpshooter shouted, ignoring his early order for silence. "You're bleeding all over the place!"

Luffy looked down where the black cloth on his arm had loosened, allowing a steady flow of blood to run down his arm before pooling onto floor. He glanced back up with a shrug. "I dunno. It's not like you're a doctor or anything."

Usopp froze for a moment before walking to the other side of the room and grabbing some bandages. He kneeled next to Luffy, expression dark, as he pulled the blood-soaked cloth from his arm and began to roughly wrap the boy's arm.

"Yeah, well I—" the long-nosed boy frown and swiftly changed gears, his hands become more gentle. "Do you know how long it took me to clean this floor? Zoro was practically bleeding buckets."

"Sorry." Luffy smiled apologetically as he surreptitiously pocketed the black cloth, wanting to wait for the swordsman to wake up to return it. He was about to inquire about the extent of Zoro's condition when a large growl filled the air. Eye rolling up in his head, Luffy slumped forward weakly.

"Hungry…." He moaned. "Usopp, cook me some meat."

Usopp looked at his captain as if he were crazy. After all he had been through, the last thing Usopp wanted to do was handle a bloody piece of meat. His stomach turned at the very thought. Dropping back onto the stool, he again rubbed at his eyes. "Have Sanji do it. I don't really feel--" Usopp lowered his hands to find that Luffy was already dashing out of the room.

Nami was just tiredly dragging her soggy form across the deck when Luffy burst from the door, his expression wild. Her eyes narrowed and she quickly stalked towards her prey. "You could have at least dropped the ladder down!" she yelled, prepared to beat some sense into her captain.

But the rubber-boy ran past her without a word. Twining his arms around the ship's mast, he pulled himself backwards before releasing his grip with a snap.

Vivi looked up from helping Carue on board to see Luffy soaring overhead and back towards the island. She heard the faint call of 'meat' from the darkness before Luffy was lost from view. Behind her, Nami let out a string of curses so crude that no proper princess should even know what they mean.

But Vivi had been with these people for awhile now. This situation was not new and the words that were spit out like a cat's hiss had been heard many times before. Smiling, Vivi turned back to help Carue climb on deck.

VVOOOVV Sanji froze as a wave of what appeared to be liquid quicksilver crept up the barstool beside him and slowly coalesced into the shape of a man. The cook quickly schooled his face into an uncaring expression as he watched the form solidify through the bar's spot-covered mirror.

Black hair fell down a thin face to brush against a narrow set of shoulders. The man's clothing had a rather old-fashion style, complete with knee-high tights and a puffy tie. A white handled sword rested on his hip, the katana looking out of place with the overall costume. But what caught Sanji's attention immediately was the man's bright blue gaze that almost burnt on contact as their gazes met through the reflective surface behind the bar.

Sanji was the first to break the stare as his gaze dropped to the wineglass that slid to a stop in front of him. Now that the cook was paying attention, he noticed a thin trail of silver release the scratched vessel and retreat back to somewhere on the newcomer's form. The stranger inclined his head slightly at Sanji's gaze.

"The hog-swill on the counter wouldn't do for a man of your obvious tastes." He held the dusty bottle aloft, with his hands this time. "Sangria Vina, bottled the very day Gold Roger met his end." his eyes took on a far away look. "They say the wine has the unmistakable aftertaste of blood." he raised a slightly mocking eyebrow towards the cook. "Why don't we try some and see?"

"I make it a habit not to drink with strangers." Sanji muttered as the hackles rose on his neck. The cook could easily detect the undertone of malice in the man's tone that belayed his placid expression.

The man opened his mouth to speak just as the barkeep returned from outside, his trek much quicker thanks to his now empty trash can. The pudgy man blinked as he noticed the added patron and his eyes widened in recognition.

"Mr. Uragi!" the barman practically dropped his burden in his haste to join them. "W-what do I owe the honor?" Sanji felt a small flash of pity as the bar's owner tried desperately to cover his thick country accent.

Uragi turned in his seat, gracing the barkeep with a glassy smile. "Good evening, Shep. You look well. My new friend and I," he gestured to Sanji. "Were just about to share a drink. If you could kindly uncork the bottle for us…" The man's smile widened as the fat barkeep babbled and bowed and scrambled behind the counter. Muted crashes and cursed erupted from under the bar as the man dug around for a corkscrew.

"I told you I don't drink with strangers," Sanji spoke only loud enough for his words to travel over the din. "Unless they're beautiful ladies." The cook grinned.

The man looked unfazed. "As Shep said, my name is Uragi. And though I may seem like a stranger to you, I am quite familiar with you Sanji, former second head chef of the floating restaurant, Baratie."

Sanji's eyes narrowed. "What do you want?"

"Ah, ah, ah." Uragi tsked. "Talk of business should wait till a more private moment. For now, let us simply enjoy one another's company, as one sophisticate to another."

Sanji said nothing as the barkeep finally found the item he was looking for and, pausing only slightly at the chosen bottle, he popped the cork and poured the crimson liquid into the two wineglasses. "You have expensive tastes as always, Mr. Uragi." The pudgy man laughed nervously as he used an old rag to wipe the sweat from his brow. "That was my best bottle."

Uragi lifted the brimming glass and waved it under his nose, inhaling deeply. "And well worth the price I will pay you for it, my good sir." Raising his glass high, his inclined his head to Sanji, who could only follow suit.

"To acquaintances; old and new."

"To acquaintances…" Sanji murmured reluctantly. It seemed as though the room itself held its breath as the two men took their first sip.

"Excellent." Uragi exclaimed as he tossed a wave of dark hair over his shoulder. "Better than I imagined."

Sanji said nothing, though he didn't like the wine's taste as all. It was far too sweet for his tastes, with an odd salty aftertaste that reminded him not so much of blood, but of tears. Sanji frowned. This was not a wine you toasted to the living with.

"Speaking of ackwain—" the barkeep Shep stumbled over the unfamiliar word as he nervously fiddled with his rag, almost as though he was afraid to be punished for speaking. "--Of friends. Did your Straw-hat friend finally meet up ya? I gave him the note like I was told and he rushed out willy-nilly as if his pants were afire."

Sanji nodded his head hesitantly as his eyes darted over to his drinking companion. "Yes, we--uh- 'met up'."

Uragi cleared his throat and, as if this were an everyday routine, the barkeep hastily excused himself and disappeared up the stairs. The two remaining men were silent for long moments, each staring down at the ruby-colored liquid in their respective glasses.

"You don't exactly fit the whole 'grease guy' description I was given," Sanji was the first to break the silence as he continued to gaze at his reflection in the wine's surface. "But there is definitely something oily about you."

Uragi let out a smooth chuckle. "Yes, I suppose you could say that."

"You're the one that attacked Zoro?" The way Sanji said those words between clenched white teeth made that more of a statement than a question.

"That was a mistake." Uragi frown before tipping his glass to his lips and draining about half the contents. "I wanted a partner, not a god damn martyr." With a snarl, he threw wineglass across the floor where is shattered in a million sparkling pieces. "If I knew he was going to give up his life for that stupid Straw-Hat boy, I would have used a different approach."

Sanji felt as if he had breathed in pure ice, the way his breath froze in his lungs. Recovering, he shook his head and slammed his glass onto the bar. "What are you talking about? That idiot's not dead."

They would have told him if he were dead….

Uragi stared at him as if he were crazy. "Are you daft, boy? If for some reason he managed to survive being shot by my firing squad, he'll die by sunrise. My poison is quite reliable, after all."

"Poison?" Sanji put one hand to his head, trying to process the sudden influx of information.

No sudden feelings of violence emanated from the man beside him, who in leu of another glass simple raised the wine bottle to his lips. Sanji decided for once not to let his feet do the talking as he attempted to grasp as much of the situation as possible. Vaguely, he wondered if it was against the pirate code to ask the enemy for a smoke. God knows he needed one.

"My, my, you are uninformed." Uragi's cold blue gaze regarded him thoughtfully from above the liquor bottle. After a moment's consideration, the man seemed to come to a decision.

"Very well then. It won't hurt my situation much for you to hear the whole story. And perhaps you'll be more sensible to reason than the swordsman." Uragi took a generous swig of wine as he launched into his story.

"I was—am-- a bounty hunter. But unlike all those other poster toting riffraff, I worked directly for the marines, on a base deep in the heart of the Grand Line. I was good at what I did, and only rarely had to actually kill my target. Normally I would just use a bit of…persuasion," Uragi lingered over the word. "And they would surrender willingly."

"Undoubtedly because of your Devil's Fruit power." Sanji cut in. Thinking quickly, he mind shuffled the puzzle pieces around until they presented a clearer picture. "That stuff you turn into must be some sort of toxin and you used it on Zoro."

Uragi's face split into a toothy grin. "Ah, you are quite the smart one, aren't you? But you are putting the cart before the horse." The thin man leaned forward as he warmed up to his audience. "I do indeed possess the powers of the Doku Doku Fruit, and those powers had served me well for many years. Until one day the base admiral himself was stricken down by some sort of poison, and as you can guess I was the main suspect. The admiral didn't survive the night."

Sanji propped his elbows atop the bar in a careless, and fearless, gesture as he kicked his stool idly. "Did you do it?" he asked casually, as if he they were discussing the weather.

"I had no reason to so foolishly terminate my employment." Uragi quickly drained his bottle with a final gulp before dropping it unheedingly to the floor. "I always did enjoy the comforts of a steady living. But someone took that away from me and the Marine's packed me onto a ship to Loguetown, where that bastard Smoker was going to beat a confession out of me before having me publicly executed." The man's head dropped a bit and it almost seemed to Sanji that Uragi's eyes began to change color. The man sighed and continued his tale.

"But I was saved from such a repulsive fate by a sudden and terrible storm. The ship crashed into something during the night and when I awoke from unconsciousness, myself and a handful of the vagabonds that I had shared a cell with found ourselves on this wretched island. At the time we believed it a miracle." Uragi's eyes drooped closed and Sanji thought he had fallen asleep when the man's low voice slid out of his body like a dying man's last breath.

"Five years, I have been stuck in this backwater island. Five years without a single ship docking on these shores. It's been maddening"

Sanji mulled these facts over for a moment, before broaching the issue that was closer at hand. "That doesn't explain what you wanted with Zoro. He may have been a bounty hunter once but I know for a fact he never worked for any marine."

" No, and it didn't matter either way." Apparently restless, Uragi stood and began pacing the floor. Sanji turned carefully in his seat, determined to keep a good eye on him despite not feeling an immediate threat. "He was here and he had experience. And best of all he brought a mark with him. With your arrival came not only a way off this accursed heap of slime, but also a way to get back on my feet, possibly even get my old life back."

Sanji tilted his head slightly as he regarded his enemy. "I don't think I follow." Uragi paused long enough to glance back at him irritably.

"Oh come on, I may have been stranded here, but I do at least have access to the newspaper! I know very much about your crew and the bounty on your captain's head. It was if opportunity just dropped you all into my lap."

"You wanted Zoro to kill Luffy?" Sanji barked out a harsh mocking laugh. "You obviously didn't do all your homework."

Uragi stopped in his tracks and Sanji's laugh died in his throat. A sudden chill seized his spine as the thin man turned and pierced him with the slitted eyes of a reptile. Uragi stalked toward him with slow, menacing steps and Sanji fought not to automatically give ground. Only now did their difference in height become apparent, as the bounty hunter fairly towered over the blonde.

"Maybe I wasn't asking the right person." Uragi hissed out. "What do you say, cook? Give up your ship and your captain and I'll let the rest of your pathetic bunch of crewmates live. I'll even give you the antidote for the swordsman, if he's still alive." Uragi held up a small vial whose content gleamed like the sun shining into the clearest of waters. "Really, is one life worth more than the others?" he asked, the vial disappearing once more.

"Why didn't you just poison my wine and force me to help you?" Sanji glared up into the once again normal eyes.

"Unfortunately, my powers aren't that convenient." Uragi brushed past him to once again take his seat at the bar. Unusually long fingernails created an offbeat rhythm against the wooden counter. "And I have no desire to be digested. Besides, that threat didn't work with Roronoa, why should I believe it would work for you?"

"True enough." Sanji grinned hatefully. "You're one stupid son of a bitch if you think I give a shit about you and your little sob story." Straightening his tie, the blonde slowly rose to his feet. "You have the nerve to threaten my crewmates and think that I'll just go along with your little plan?" The cook backed up a step to get in within good kicking distance. Crouching down, his grin returned. "I'd tell you to go to hell but it'd be pretty pointless when I'm already gonna send you there."

Uragi's face showed no expression as he reached over for Sanji's nearly untouched glass of wine. Downing the warm liquid in one gulp, the wineglass flew passed the pirate's head to join its companion in pieces on the floor.

"What is it with you stubborn pirates these days?" Uragi's hand slipped into his vest and pulled out a small pistol. "Must you always resort to violence?" He pointed the barrel at Sanji and cocked the hammer back. Sanji's eyes widened as he wondered if he could dodge the shot at such close range.

"I guess I'll just have to pick you off, one by one." Uragi sighed. "How troublesome." His finger started to squeeze the trigger when the front door suddenly burst off its hinges and into the room.

"SANJI!"

A panting figure stood in the mangled doorway; his face backlit by the street lamps behind him. A straw hat slowly floated to the floor by the figure's feet.

"FEED ME!"

VVOOOVV

(1) Shot put – those white disc things that are shot into the air for target practice.


	8. Chapter 8

Title: Loyalties  
Author: AstroKender  
Pairings: no obvious, some implied. use your imagination.  
Warnings: language again. (again, mostly from Sanji) teeny bit of angst.  
Spoilers: none Notes: I meant to squeeze more Zoro into this chapter but, alas, it wasn't to be. The action is heating up and a final confrontation can't be too far away. But for now, just enjoy the spurts of random violence towards our lovable OP characters.  
Feedback: there is a button at the bottom of the screen begging to be pushed.  
Archived: ffnet (obviously) But always looking for a good home.  
Disclaimers: One Piece belongs to Eichiro Oda and (wince) 4kids. I don't own em, I don't make money off em, I just play with them.

Chapter 8

Chopper slowly dragged himself across the floor on legs that felt as though they were attached to giant lead weights. Every muscle felt strained and even the fur on his body seemed to hurt. He worked on stubbornly, however, ignoring his body's protests at even the smallest of movements. Chopper was a doctor after all. And doctors did their duty regardless of their own condition. In the medical world, the patient always comes first.

Bloodshot eyes stared blearily at a beaker sitting over a lit Bunsen burner. Thick yellow liquid bubbled like magma in the wide-bottomed vessel, churning and smoking as it boiled. Biting his lip, Chopper took a small sample of the substance with the aid of a metal eyedropper and wobbled carefully towards a small petri dish at the end of the table.

Usopp lay slumbering peacefully in the corner of the cabin, nestled between cannonballs and boxes of dry goods. The sharpshooter had awoken Chopper about two hours ago, understanding that time was short and any further inaction could result in dire consequences for their injured crewmate. Usopp himself had refused to get some rest in a more comfortable location, preferring to stay nearby in case he was needed. So Chopper stopped trying to argue and simply draped a thin blanket over his lightly snoring form.

The others had stopped in to check on Zoro, before heading to their own beds. Usopp had hung his head when he told Chopper that he had been unable to reveal the swordsman's shaky condition. Chopper couldn't blame him. It's not everyday you can simply look at your friends and tell them their crewmate was going to die….

No!

Chopper rapidly shook that thought from his head as he squared his small shoulders. He was a doctor, damn it! There had to be some way to come up with a cure for whatever substance was slowly killing Zoro, bit by bit. There had to be! What good were doctors if they couldn't even save one person?

Memories flashed back to a doctor with a big grin and an even bigger heart and Chopper felt despair tug at his heart as his free hoof quickly swiped across the wetness in his eyes. Heaving a sigh and crossing his hooves, the reindeer carefully squeezed the dropper.

A few drops of yellow hit the petri dish and suddenly the wave of hopelessness swept him under. The substance in the dish hadn't changed color. This wasn't an antidote either. He would have to start over again from scratch but time was running out and Chopper was unsure of how long Zoro could hold out against the toxins destroying his body.

The reindeer's migraine flared back to life with a vengeance and Chopper sank to the floor, trying to hold his head together with two tiny hooves. The aftereffect of the using two Rumble Balls didn't kill him, though the pain was so intense Chopper almost wished it had. He couldn't help the small whimper that escaped his lips as he lay there, curled up in a ball of misery, for many long and agonizing moments.

"You know what your problem is?" The deep voice cut through the pain like a razor edged sword. "You try too hard."

Chopper raised his head to see Zoro sitting up on the makeshift-operating table, staring at him with dull eyes. The reindeer quickly jumped to his feet, pain forgotten.

"Zoro! You're up! I mean—You shouldn't be up! You need to be resting. You lost a lot of blood and getting the bullets out wasn't easy so if you move around to much you might reopen your—"

"Does it really matter?" Zoro's soft words interrupted the doctor's babbling. Chopper stared at him for a moment before going on as if he didn't understand what the swordsman was talking about. A doctor's critique hid his shield of denial as Chopper clucked about like an overprotective mother hen.

"You might reopen your wounds. I know they must hurt terribly. You need to lay back down and I'll give you something for the pain that will also help you sleep. You also have a fever so--"

"Quiet!" Zoro barked out. "I know what's going on, Chopper! I'm not a damn idiot!"

Chopper stared up at him, lips quivering, and Zoro heaved a sigh that broke into a fit of hoarse coughing. The cough quickly turned worse, causing the swordsman's whole body to jerk forward, and soon Zoro was leaning over a tray the reindeer held up as he threw up the remaining contents of his mostly empty stomach. When the spell finally passed Zoro fell back, gasping for breath as a trembling hand wiped the spit from his chin.

"Water…." The green-haired man panted. Chopper disappeared from his side only to reappear moments later with a tall metal cup. With the reindeer's help, Zoro managed to raise the glass to his lips.

He had been so thirsty that he had half the contents down before he realized that what he was drinking wasn't water, but something far more gritty. A taste like burnt chalk flowed over his tongue and Zoro forced himself to swallow the remainder of the foul tasting liquid.

"What was that?" he asked between harsh breaths after he'd finished. His eyes narrowed quickly in suspicion. If Chopper had drugged him without his permission….

"Activated Charcoal." The doctor answered in a small voice. "It'll—It'll help delay the effects…." The little reindeer trailed off, as he fiddled with the empty glass in his hand.

A long silence fell across the cabin, broken only by Usopp's faint snores and Zoro's light gasps. Zoro stared at Chopper and Chopper looked at anywhere but Zoro. Many moments passed like this until the swordsman decided to finally voice the question burdening his soul, the question he knew Chopper didn't want him to ask.

"I'm dying, aren't I?" Zoro whispered softly and Chopper burst into tears.

"I'm so sorry Zoro," the doctor blubbered. "But without knowing where the poison came from, there is no way to create a cure. If only—"

The rest of the reindeer's words were lost as Zoro closed his eyes. So the truth had finally been brought to light. He listened idly as his pulse pounded in his ears, carrying Uragi's foul poison further into his system. The pain of his gunshot wounds, as agonizing as they were, were nothing compared to the fire burning through his veins. He had lost, not to another swordsman, but to an invisible, though no less deadly, opponent. The swordsman was forced to take small, quick breaths as the giant weight of defeat pressed itself onto his chest.

"It's okay, Chopper." He heard himself say. "You did your best."

At that statement the reindeer broke out into all out wails.

VVOOVV

One swift roundhouse was all it took for the loaded pistol to go sailing across the room. By some blessed miracle the gun did not go off as it hit the ground. Not one to waste time, Sanji quickly forgot about the firearm and switched his focus to the man that was once holding it. Using his hands for leverage, Sanji swung his other leg around to crash into Uragi's chest with brutal force as the blonde tried to crush his enemy between his leg and the wooden bar.

The soft but firm resistance of a human body suddenly vanished and Sanji's leg went entirely through Uragi's body to crash into the bar behind him, creating a gaping hole. Jerking his foot out of the new pile of kindling, Sanji's head darted around as he tried to figure out where his enemy had disappeared to. Flashes of Nami's description of their battle fired quickly through the synapses of Sanji's brain and he cursed, realizing that he should have been prepared for such an occurrence.

"Uh, Sanji?" The words brought his attention back to his captain. Luffy still stood at the doorway, his head cocked to one side. "Why ya bustin the place up?"

The blonde opened his mouth to reply when a little mental warning light flashed in his head. Instantly he was off and running towards the shapeless black mass that was even now slithering closer to the discarded gun. Panicking, Sanji slid feet first towards the firearm, managing to kick it away just as the black form solidified. The gun slid under a table and skittered to a stop along the far wall.

Uragi stared down at Sanji with glittering green eyes accented with dark slashes of pupil. A fist carrying all the power of a steel club slammed into the side of Sanji's head, sending him flying backwards to land awkwardly in a pile of broken glass.

Sanji pushed himself into a sitting position, his ears ringing. That had been no normal punch. Blinking dazedly, Sanji watched as two sandal-clad feet ran towards him, though they briefly blurred into four feet in a bout of eschewed equilibrium. The blonde felt a warm hand on his shoulder and a voice call out his name, but he was unable to fit together the words for a reply.

"I'm sorry we couldn't come to an agreement." Uragi stated, his voice seeming to come from a great distance as he stepped back into the lamplight. "I let you see my good side and still you mocked me. You'll soon come to regret your harsh words, Cook."

Sanji felt the figure next to him stiffen. "It's you!" Luffy called out. "The grease guy!"

"Very good, Straw Hat. A wonderful display of observation." Sanji could practically hear the sneer in Uragi's voice. "Will you be showing us how you can count to ten, next?"

Luffy's growl sounded much like an injured bear as drew both arms back to strike at the mocking face across from him. But Sanji's words halted the rubber-boy in his tracks.

"Luffy," the blonde groaned out as he fought to regain his feet. "Zoro…is he still alive?"

Luffy's arms dropped to his sides as he stared incredulously at Sanji, completely forgetting about the enemy's presence. "Of course he's alive. We're talking about Zoro, right?"

Sanji stared in those bewildered eyes and allowed himself to softly exhale a breath he didn't even know he had been holding. "Then the poison…" Luffy gave Sanji a sudden look of confusion that made the cook's heart jerk painfully in his chest.

"What poison?" He watched his captain's mouth the words, but for some reason Sanji couldn't hear them. All that echoed in his ears were Uragi's earlier words.

'…he'll die by sunrise. My poison is quite reliable…"

"The same poison I'm going to use to kill you, my boy." Sanji snapped back to the present as he heard Uragi call out. Sanji watched as a giant wave of black liquid shot towards Luffy. Ignoring all rational thought, Sanji quickly jumped in front of the straw hat captain.

Sanji dropped to his hands and, ignoring the tiny shards of glass slicing into his palms, he lifted his legs up in a whirlwind spin that blocked the path between Luffy and the toxic liquid. Uragi's poison hit Sanji's flying legs like water striking a fan, flinging out in all directions except for towards its intended target. Sanji kept up this wildly rotating shield until he was sure no more of the black substance was forthcoming.

Stumbling to his feet, Sanji came face to face with Luffy's assailant. Uragi fixed the blonde with a glare fit to kill as he grabbed a hold of Sanji's shirtfront. Not to be outdone, the cook grabbed the bounty hunters coat in a tight grip and lifted him a couple of centimeters off of the floor.

"Give me the antidote…" Sanji commanded, only slightly out of breath. "And I promise not to beat you up too badly."

Uragi flashed an oily grin as his eyes trailed down to Sanji's now bleeding hands. "You asked me earlier why I didn't poison you." His black fingernails gradually increased to nearly three times their normal length as the bounty hunter's hand reached out towards the blonde. "Well, Cook, you never really gave me the opportunity."

A flying fist plowed into Uragi's jaw as Sanji belatedly jumped backwards; suddenly aware of the danger he had exposed himself to. Clenching his wounded hands, Sanji fought the urge to hide them under his armpits protectively. So that was how Uragi poisoned his victims. The blonde swallowed nervously as he stared over at his captain. Had Luffy known…?

"I don't know what's going on here." Luffy stood stiffly over Uragi's fallen form. "And I don't particularly care. All I know is that you ran away before I could finish kicking your ass." Not a crack of a smile flitted over the rubber-boy's face as he popped his knuckles threateningly.

Cradling his injured cheek, Uragi skittered backwards. "This is why it always pays to have a plan 'B'." he muttered as he pulled a fist sized gray ball from the depths of his jacket and tossed it at the pirates.

Luffy blinked as the ball bounced harmlessly off his shoulder only to roll to the floor between Sanji and himself. Even though he didn't take his eyes off of Uragi, Luffy couldn't help but notice the strange hissing noise that emanated from the gray orb, much like the same noise that those small sparking sticks he had seen kids playing with during parties. The sticks were pretty and lit up like miniature…

… fireworks…

"Luffy! Move!" Sanji's shout was nearly absorbed by the booming roar of the bomb exploding. The force of the blast knocked the cook backwards and off his feet as a wave of heat enveloped him.

"Hey! Are you all right?" Blinded by the flash and more than slightly singed, Sanji called out to Luffy as he struggled to regain his feet.

The blonde stumbled about only to jump backwards as hot flames licked out to devour his flesh. Rubbing his eyes frantically, Sanji could finally see enough to realize that the bomb had set the center of the common room on fire. The old driftwood caught like tinder as it spread down the floor's wooden planks. Even now the flames were devouring several chairs and tables near him. Black smoke rolled up only to be stopped by the bar's low ceiling. Sanji couldn't breathe and he couldn't see.

But Sanji didn't need to see to know that those flames stood between him and Luffy. Figuring that his suit couldn't get any more ruined, the cook pulled his jacket protectively over his head and jumped through the blaze…

…And immediately fell over as he tripped over something solid on the other side.

"Luffy?" Sanji coughed out incredulously as he untangled his legs from Luffy's prone form. The dark-haired boy didn't answer as he pushed himself to his knees only to fall over again with a groan. Sanji could see harsh red burns covering the captain's arms and peeking out from underneath his scorched vest. Coughing again, the blonde swiftly knelt down and dragged Luffy to his feet as he half carried/half dragged the injured boy towards the pub's back entrance. Sanji didn't let himself worry too much. Knowing Luffy, the weakness was probably more from hunger than his injuries. Sanji only hoped he could accurately remember where the exit was.

Luck must have been with him because no sooner than the thought crossed the blonde's mind his tattered palm brushed against a cool metal sphere. Sanji hacked a relieved sigh and had just begun to turn the knob when he felt his burden stiffen. Luffy jerked away from his grasp weakly, trying to make his way back towards the common room. "My hat…." He croaked, barely audible over the roar of the flames.

Sanji glanced back at what had now become a wall of fire and shook his head. "It's gone! Forget about it!" he shouted as he shoved the protesting door open. Cool air rushed past him, giving him hope that they would actually make it out of this aggravating situation somewhat unscathed.

The flames quickly sucked up the added oxygen from that welcome cool breeze and the fire behind them roared into an inferno. Sanji felt his shirt grow uncomfortably hot as the thin material neared its combustion point. Sanji tried again to tug Luffy forward only to be stopped with more resistance than the blonde would have thought the boy to possess after nearly being blown up.

Sanji spit out a curse and turned to glare back at the unmoving form only to meet a resolute gaze. The cook stared into those unwavering eyes and briefly wondered if this was why that damn lettuce-head was always ending up hip deep in trouble. Common sense was no match for pure, single-minded stupidity. Sighing heavily, Sanji cursed his soft heart and swiftly kicked the captain through the doorway as he himself ran back towards the searing flames inside.

Luffy stared numbly at the burning building as realization slowly sunk in. He hadn't meant that Sanji had to get his hat! Tongues of flame had begun to lick at the frame of the back door. The Swampwater's Brew had lit up like a torch, illuminating the charcoal sky that was slowly filling with bulbous clouds of smoke. A series of small explosions drew Luffy's attention back to the ground, as the fire greedily swallowed the bar's alcohol supply.

Luffy pushed himself weakly to his feet, intent on jumping back into the burning building to retrieve both his cook and his hat, but a shout from the mouth of the alley made him pause. The flickering flames provided more than enough light to illuminate two figures facing away from the rubber-boy's direction. Squinting, Luffy could just make out the apathetic slouch that seemed to characterize the bounty hunter, Uragi, as he gave orders to one of his men. Luffy brashly walked closer, not even trying to hide his presence as he tried to hear their conversation more clearly over the crackling roar of the flames.

"That's right, proceed as planned and then meet the rest of us at the warehouse to the north." Uragi was said, not even glancing back into the alley where Luffy stood. "The townsfolk should be more than enough to delay those idiots until we gather up enough explosives. If we can't steal their ship we'll just blow it up and harvest the flotsam that remains." Uragi flipped a piece of ash out of his hair before glancing back at his companion. "Go on!" he ordered impatiently as pushed his man forward before striding out of site.

"That…that….jerk!" The rubber-boy sputtered in outrage before stumbling forward with an inflamed growl.

That grease guy not only had the nerve to try and blow them up, but he was going to try and attack the Going Merry too! That bounty hunter was really asking for a pounding now! With a quick glance back at the burning bar and a wordless prayer that cooks by nature would be immune to fire, Luffy's faltering gait tumbled into an all-out run as the dark-haired boy struggled to catch up with Uragi's fleeing form.

A harsh clanging greeted his ears as he shot out of the alley, distracting him from his pursuit. The henchman Uragi had given orders to was standing atop one of the town's fountains, frantically ringing a giant brass bell. The villagers that had not already been drawn to the small square by the fire now cautiously peeked their heads out of their domiciles. His audience gathered, Uragi's man took a deep breath.

"The pirates! The pirates attacked Mr. Uragi!" the man's shout reverberated louder than even the clanging of his bell. "They're at their ship now arming themselves! They're going to kill us all!"

The Brew's owner hovered near the fountain, moaning and tearing at the few hairs gracing his balding head. "They burnt it up! My inn!" the barkeep wailed. "My whole life was in that building!"

"The pirates did it!" Uragi's man yelled. "The pirates will destroy the whole village unless we all take up arms to stop them!"

Luffy opened his mouth to say that he had no intention of destroy anything but each little bone in a certain grease-guy's body, but thought better of it as Uragi's man began brandishing a pistol for emphasis. The rubber-boy was no longer cocky about his immunity to bullets and would almost bet his dinner that that gun didn't hold just any old musket.

A small man wearing a leather apron had stepped meekly forward during the ruckus. Looking around nervously, he spoke out in the type of hesitant voice that had the habit of silencing any crowd. "Earlier today, one of the pirates came to my shop wanting armor. And then…" The man fidgeted with the strings of his apron as he forced himself to continue.

"This evening…in front of this very inn…I watched that pirate kill a woman in cold blood!" That piercing whisper got even more of a reaction than even Uragi's stooge as the townspeople began muttering in anger and fear.

Some of the men quickly ushered their wives back indoors, while others rushed about searching for anything that could be used as a weapon. Many of the men were already armed and quickly gathered into groups to storm the beach where the Going Merry was docked. The few that remained ran quickly from house to house, spreading the word.

One man walked blindly past where Luffy stood only to jump back with a shriek as he realized that the boy he walked passed was not one of his fellow villagers.

"Look! It's one of the pirates!" the man skittered away fearfully. "He tried to sneak up on me!"

"Geez, I was just standing here." Luffy muttered peevishly as he tried his best not to look like a murderous pirate.

He evidently wasn't doing a good enough job as he soon found himself the center of a lot of unwanted attention. Apparently there were a lot more villagers milling about than he thought. The dark-haired boy ducked automatically as a shovel whooshed over his head before nimbly sidestepping a rusty spear aimed at his torso.

"Hey! I don't really wanna beat you guys up! It wouldn't be fair!" Luffy couldn't help but laugh as he dodged the various clumsy blows. "You guys are way too slow!"

The crack of gunfire went off to Luffy's left and he flinched as a bullet lodged into the bricks behind him. The rubber-boy looked about the sea of angry faces as he frantically tried to make out the shooter, still unwilling to hurt anyone who was still essentially innocent. Another bullet shot towards him only to bounce harmlessly off his chest before imbedding into the sand. Staring down at the bladed musket, Luffy realized he had been lucky that the bullet had turned.

His distraction proved enough for a giant force to knock him over and Luffy automatically fought back, his instincts for survival out-weighing his usual recklessness. He dimly perceived someone dragging him to his feet and shoving something coarse into his flailing hands.

"Ow!" his attacker cursed. "Damn it Luffy, Are you going to just stand there and be shot at, you idiot?" Sanji yelled in his ear as he dragged the rubber-boy away from the murderous crowd. He artfully threw a light kick here and there to keep the more violent ones at bay as the two quickly ducked down a side street. Pausing in a recessed doorway only long enough for the mob to pass them, Sanji fought for breath as he held a blackened hand over his captain's mouth to curb any stupid questions.

"We have to get back to the ship!" Sanji hissed and he pulled Luffy back into the street as soon as the coast was clear. Their legs kicked up sprays of sand as they tried to swiftly navigate the treacherous back roads to make their way towards the shore.  
Luffy looked back in time to see a bullet whizzing passed his head, creating a searing cut across his cheek. Soon the two were running, the dire situation both in front and behind them hastening their worn out bodies. Belatedly, Luffy's eyes widened as his head jerked back to stare at Sanji in mute concern. The cook was covered from head to toe with black soot, making it impossible to tell if he had come to any real harm in the blazing inferno that was once the Swampwater's Brew. But if he could run that fast….

"My hat!" Luffy cried out suddenly.

"Honestly, could you be any more slow? It's in your damn hand!" Sanji barked out as he forced them to go faster. Luffy looked down and, there indeed, was his precious straw hat, completely unmarked.

"It was right by the front door!" the blonde yelled out angrily. "I could have walked around the building and just picked the god-damned thing up!" Sanji hurled out a few other choice words as he pushed the rubber-boy up ahead of him.

Luffy shoved the hat firmly on his head, his arms blocking his widening grin. If Sanji could still curse that effectively, he must be just fine. "Sorry Sanji…my bad." He said, completely unrepentant, as he willed his legs to carry him faster down the sandy road.

VVOOOVV

Elsewhere, the bodies of many armed men slid into the dark waters of the ocean, swimming silently towards the dark ship moored mere meters away. Nearly two dozen of men wordlessly waded out to sea. Neither the drag of the tide against their clothing nor the heaviness of their weapons halted their steady progress to the Going Merry, where a rope ladder was left hanging in a careless invitation for attack.


	9. Chapter 9

Loyalties By AstroKender 

Warnings: A smattering of blood, negilible compaired to previous chapters.  
Notes: Lots of POV changes in this chapter, I hope it's not too hard to follow.And I'm slowly shrinking the intro stats, since half the stuff doesn't change from chapter to chapter.  
Feedback: there is a button at the bottom of the screen begging to be pushed...(I'll keep that here )  
Disclaimers: One Piece belongs to Eichiro Oda, 4kids and various other affiliates. I don't own em, I don't make money off em, I just play with them.

Now, on to the fic!

Chapter 9

Nami watched through the porthole as lightning once again flashed in the far distance. A line of dark clouds hovered on the sea's horizon, threatening to move in swiftly to blanket the island in darkness. The atmosphere felt thick with rain, even from inside the cabin. Nami glanced at Vivi's peacefully slumbering form and heaved a silent sigh. The navigator couldn't sleep with such a storm building, especially when two of her crewmates were running loose on an island that didn't seem as welcoming as the day they landed on it.

She should have listened to Usopp in that respect.

Nami grudgingly played back the last few hours in her mind's eye. The look of horrified shock on Vivi's face stood out starkly in her memories, when they had first slipped below deck and found Zoro with Usopp. Just one look at Zoro's gray face had convinced the princess that they were too late; that Zoro was dead.

Slipping from where she was leaning heavily against Nami, the blue-haired girl had dropped to the floor, as she covered her mouth in disbelief. Fat tears began rolling down her cheeks as she whispered her apologies, over and over; believing it was her fault they all had been forced into this situation. Usopp, who had been hovering on the sidelines, had hurriedly assured them that this was not the case.

Zoro was alive. He was only resting after a long and harrowing operation. He was laying there, still as a corpse on a table Nami had often used for such menial tasks as storing rolls of parchment and other such miscellaneous supplies. Seeing the once light colored wood dyed dark with blood, the redhead didn't think that she could ever look at that table the same way again.

Zoro was sleeping, but Nami felt the need to talk to him anyway, stating that he owed her at least three hundred beli for her shirt in which whose stains of which even a dunk in the ocean hadn't been able to erase. Nami had stared, in a sort of morbid curiosity, at Zoro's wounds as she spoke. She stared at the white bandages that wrapped nearly the whole of his torso. Bandages that, here and there, were lightly tinted pink with blood. Unbidden, flashes of Bellemere's death pounded behind her eyes as she watched that bullet rip through her surrogate mother's chest over in a painful repetition of sounds and images. Bellemere's body hadn't been able to handle the impact of even one bullet….

Nami had suddenly wanted Zoro awake. She had felt the need so badly that she almost reached across that damn table and shook him until his stupid swordsman's brain rattled in his head. She needed him awake and telling her how she was going to hell. She needed Sanji and Luffy here telling her everything was fine. She needed to be sailing away from this island and on the way to Alabasta. She needed this all to be a dream.

What she didn't need was to see another person die. That one foolish, courageous woman was more--absolutely more--than enough.

Unable to stand her own dark thoughts, Nami had retreated to her own cabin, with Vivi trailing reluctantly behind. The two had gotten ready for bed in silence, though once and awhile they'd dart each other a reassuring look that helped mask their own worries. But even after Vivi's breathing had evened out into the blissful realms of sleep, Nami had lain awake, letting troublesome memories wash over her like an unrepentant tide.

Heaving yet another sigh, Nami flopped wearily back onto her mattress. She held one arm aloft as she gazed at the transparent globe of the Log Pose. Even in this dim light and the bad angle of her wrist, the navigator could clearly see the little needle pointing unerringly west. The Log Pose had set. They could finally leave.

As soon as Sanji and Luffy returned.

Gah! Where were though dimwits, anyway? Nami scowled as she flipped over and buried her face into her pillow. How dare they make her worry and loose out on her beauty sleep? Those two had a lot of nerve to go gallivanting off like that with no thoughts for the rest of the crew!  
Nami's stomach gave a soft growl, reminding her that she hadn't even got the benefit of a proper supper. She and Vivi had resorted to splitting a tangerine.

Yup. Those boys were definitely gonna pay. And Zoro too, while she was at it. She had like that shirt. Nami was going to make sure to charge him at least nine hundred beli for it.

The feather pillow quickly muffled an evil chuckle as the redhead finally allowed herself to drift towards sleep, her mind carefree once more.

VVOOVV

Carue snuggled his beak under his wing drowsily as he curled further into himself for warmth. The temperature, while still humid, had dropped several degrees since the sun went down. Even this island's temperate climate seemed cold to the desert-raised duck, and he couldn't help but shiver as a steady gust of wind ruffled through his feathers.

Vivi's self appointed guardian wanted nothing more than to waddle below decks, where the cabins would still retain some heat from the day. But the drake was unwilling to leave his post as look out until Luffy and Sanji returned. Carue would not let himself feel at ease until their little group was together once more. He would only retreat from his post if the storm broke.

Hearing the sound of feet padding across the deck, Carue's head lifted and he let out a happy quack. Stumbling ungracefully to his feet, the duck quickly ran towards the ship's stern, intent on welcoming the two boys that all too often tried to eat him…or use him as bait for some bigger dinner. That aside, they were great friends and Carue was definitely happy…

…to…

…see…

…them…

Carue blinked dazedly, wondering how he suddenly found himself lying prone on the ship's deck. A hairline crack ran down the front of his once sturdy helmet and Carue watched with an odd bit of detachment as a thin trail of blood dripped slowly passed his eyes. Focusing through a fog of pain that seemed to pulse in his skull like a living entity, the duck could just barely make out a barrel-chested man wielding a giant hammer, like one a blacksmith would use.

He tried to open his bill to cry out, to warn the others. He really tried. But the hammer came down once more for a final blow and, with its impact, darkness swallowed Carue's call along with all awareness.

VVOOOVV

Usopp abruptly shot upright as a jarring crash shook the small cabin. The clamor had been enough to tear the sharpshooter from where he had been drifting in and out of an exhausted slumber. He looked about frantically, his hands fumbling reflexively for his slingshot.

Wide eyes caught sight of the giant fist of Chopper's human form plowing into the face of some unfamiliar man wielding a miner's pick. The force of Chopper's punch was enough to crush a man's nose like a piece of origami, Usopp discovered, much to his squeamish dismay. The man flew past Usopp to slam into the wall with bone shattering force, before he slid into an unconscious heap onto the floor.

"My patient is trying to sleep, Asshole!" The reindeer snarled as he turned to face his next foe.

Chopper's actions were like a douse of cold water on Usopp's disoriented form. Jumping to his feet, the long-nosed boy slammed his shoulder into one of the four remaining intruders, knocking them both to the floor. He had no time to wonder where these men came from or whether they were in league with the man they had fought earlier. It was all just an instinctual fight for survival as the two tussled on the floor like wild animals, punching and scratching at one another as each tried to get the upper hand.

Nearby, Chopper had reached out and grabbed two of the men. Each of their heads was gripped firmly in one of the doctor's monstrous palms. Chopper gave an angry sort of growl as he swiftly brought his hands, and consequently their skulls, together with a not so gentle sounding crunch. The two assailants dropped bonelessly to the ground.

Turning, Chopper looked hastily around for the fourth intruder, intent on taking care of him before more of their comrades reached the cabin. Even now the reindeer's acute hearing could detect the sounds of running feet from above. And he would bet his hide those feet didn't belong to his own companions.

Looking across the room, Chopper spotted the last man, hovering uncertainly by the table. The man, who looked well into his fifties, met Chopper's gaze as some sort of resolve firmed behind his own gray eyes. Chopper's breath caught in his throat as he saw the man raise a rusty blade above Zoro's unconscious form. Yelling a wordless command to Usopp, Chopper morphed into his deer form and galloped forward, even though he was absolutely positive he could never make it in time.

The clang of metal against metal reverberated across the small room. Chopper skidded to an astonished halt, almost sliding into the table as his hooves fought for purchase on the well-polished floor. Behind him, Usopp had just given his adversary a swift kick in the groin that was enough to immobilize him for at least a few moments. Panting, the sharpshooter began to pull himself to his feet only to stop as his eyes bugged out at the scene unfolding before him.

That rusty blade, that couldn't have seen any real action for at least twenty years, was still sharp enough to imbed itself into the wooden table a good couple of centimeters. The sword would have traveled farther no doubt; it may have even pierced flesh, if it weren't for the shining length of metal that stopped it.

Zoro's left arm was draped casually across his chest with his hand resting snugly against his cheek in a pose that was almost child-like. Except this hand was holding Yubashiri in a vise-like grip. The silver blade wasn't even completely out of it's sheath, yet it was still more than enough to stop the trembling villager that, even now, was attempting to put more force behind his own blade in order to overpower his victim.

And through it all, by the gods, Zoro was snoring.

"He can beat a guy even in his sleep…" Usopp murmured in amazement. "Unbelievable."

Frustrated, the older man jerked his weapon free of the wood that held it. Muscles slowly giving in to the pressure of age nevertheless swung the heavy blade up before bringing it in quickly down in a piercing strike aimed for the pirate's skull. Shock had glued Chopper's hooves to the floor, and he could only scrunch his eyes closed and wait for the telltale sound that was much like a cleaver severing a melon.

Silence.

Chopper opened one eye in dread, only to nearly fall over in relief. The point of the blade had been stopped mere millimeters from its target. Quivering in fear, the old man nearly dropped his sword in shock as his wavering gaze met that of his previously slumbering opponent.

Zoro stared up at the man in confusion, his eyes narrowed in a groggy sort of irritation. "Who the hell are you?" he rumbled, his hand not releasing its tight grip around the rusty blade poised to finish him off.

The man stared down at the green-haired pirate in fear, watching in horrified fascination as blood welled up from his adversary's palm. The blood slowly trickled down the pirate's arm and ran down his own ancient sword. A drop of blood hung off the tip of the rusty blade like a ruby teardrop, before landing on Zoro's cheek in a small splatter of crimson.

A deep growl reverberated from Zoro's throat as his eyes narrowed into angry slits. The green-haired man shifted his grip on the sword and twisted his wrist, snapping the old blade clean in two with barely even a grunt. Dropping his half of the shattered sword carelessly onto the ground, Zoro allowed Yubashiri to slide another fraction from its sheath in a rather pointed message.

The man dropped the remaining half of his sword as his stumbled backwards. "M-monsters! All of you!" he stuttered before pushing past Usopp and Chopper as he dashed out of the room and, from the sound of it, straight up the stairs and off the ship.

Both the doctor and the sharpshooter blinked in bewilderment before turning wide eyes back to the swordsman. Zoro was staring blindly up at the ceiling, panting for breath even from that tiny bit of exertion.

"Shit." He mumbled tiredly as he clenched his bleeding palm. "I've gotten weak."

Usopp opened his mouth to reply when a frightening thought hit him. "Guys! What about Nami and Vivi? Are they being attacked too?"

"It looks like we'll have to get past them first." Chopper pointed to the crowd of men barreling through the cabin doorway, armed to the teeth.

Usopp took one glance back and let out a girly shriek before falling over and deciding it would be in his best interests to play dead.

VVOOOVV

"Uh, Sanji? Where are we?" Luffy asked as he stared at the endless spread of marshlands in front of them. The algae in the water gave off a sort of phosphorescent glow that lit up their surroundings enough to show that they were nowhere near the island's shores.

Sanji stared at the aggravating swamp and did his best not to tear his hair out in a fit of frustration and nicotine deprivation. Instead, the blonde settled for trying to physically rub the headache out from behind his eyes. Of course, all this managed to do was further streak his sweat-covered face in black soot.

Luffy took one glance at Sanji's face and nearly swallowed his tongue trying to hold in his laughter. His lips pursed up with the effort as a spitting noise involuntarily escaped.

Sanji shot his captain a suspicious look. "What?" he snapped.

By now Luffy's arms were wrapped around his sides as he tried--and failed-- to hold in his mirth. "Sanji looks like…a panda!" he gasped out between fits of chuckling.

Scowling, the cook walked deliberately over to where Luffy stood and popped him one right on the head. The rubber-boy fell to the ground, cradling his head now instead of his sides. Sanji gave Luffy a light kick for good measure, before stepping back and once again scanning their surroundings.

Damn it. Getting lost was Zoro's job.

"Hey, Sanji? I'm hungry…." Luffy whined from behind him, unable or unwilling to get up from his spot on the ground. Instead the dark-haired boy was content to sit there and stare at nothing in particular; a definite warning sign.

Sanji bit back a sigh as he wondered if he was going to have to carry the captain back to the ship. The cook knew that Luffy's half-hearted complaints were a sign that the rubber-boy's energy supply was on 'E'. Pretty soon he wouldn't be able to fight even if he wanted to.

They didn't have time for stupid screw-ups like this. Sanji should have been paying more attention to their direction when they were fleeing the village.

Cursing, the blonde glanced up at the night sky above. Not too long from now that block of clouds in the distance was going to obscure the moon, reducing their night-visibility to fairly nil. They had to make it back to the ship before then.

"I think we're just a little east of the main road. Come one." Sanji walked over to the dark-haired boy and helped him to his feet.

Luffy sighed heavily before lifting his head and gracing the cook with an impish grin. "Whatever you say…Pandaman."

Sanji's eye twitched violently and he decided right there and then that if he ended up carrying Luffy it was going to be due to the fact that he had knocked him out.

VVOOOVV

Nami brought her pole swiftly down on her assailant's head, knocking him to the ground. Vivi watched warily as the redhead dug the end of her weapon into the unconscious man's face, twisting it sadistically.

"Um, Nami. I think he's out." Vivi offered hesitantly.

Nami glanced down with a huff. "Well, that's what he gets for entering a woman's quarters unannounced. I would've done the same even to our guys." She gave the body a swift kick to punctuate her point.

"But this just looks like a simple farmer…" Vivi stared down and the weathered face of their attacker. "I don't understand why they would try to kill us. Did you guys do something wrong while you were on the island?"

Nami raised a finely plucked eyebrow. "Well, I say getting shot at was wrong, but not in the way you mean." Nami thought about the question seriously for a moment but was unable to come up with any answers. "Everyone in town seemed friendly enough. I don't see any reason that they'd turn on us unless…." Nami's eyes suddenly narrowed.

"Unless what?" Vivi asked, fearing the worst.

"Luffy!" the navigator growled as she stepped over her fallen enemy and out into the empty corridor. Sounds of fighting could be heard from Chopper's quarters down the hall, proving that the man sneaking into her room wasn't just some isolated incident. Nami shifted her grip on her weapon as she took a single step towards the half-ajar door at the rear of the ship. "That idiot!" She muttered to herself. "When I get a hold of him, I'm going to cook his goose!"

"Goose…?" Vivi echoed, causing Nami to glance back in inquiry. The word had triggered an astounding reaction in the blue-haired princess as she pushed past Nami and ran up the stairs, in the opposite direction of where they should have been headed.

"Hey!"

"Carue was still up on deck!" Vivi yelled back

"Vivi, wait!" Nami called out. "We need to gather up the others…." The redhead trailed off in defeat as she turned and rushed after her friend. Sparing Chopper's quarters a quick backward glance, the navigator prayed that the boys were able to take care of themselves….

Nami smacked into Vivi's back halfway across the open deck and found herself quickly revising her prayer. She stared at the dozen or so men surrounding them with various household cutlery and suppressed a small groan. Dropping her pole, she readily raised her arms in surrender.

Come on you guys! She screamed in her head. Hurry up and take care of yourselves so you can take care of us!

VVOOOVV

"Mr. Uragi, the cannons are on their way to the shore and should be arriving shortly to where the Going Merry is docked." A scruffy-faced man reported while giving a makeshift salute.

The man was among the original seven convicts that were shipwrecked on Black Feather with the bounty hunter nearly six ago. Each of the seven hardened criminals were 'persuaded' to help Uragi get off the island, regardless of what dim prospects the future may hold for them beyond these marshy shores.

Uragi nodded silently at the update as he helped himself to another bite of his dinner. His knife sliced cleanly through the large portion of fish on his plate, filleting the meat expertly from the bones. He was dining later than usual this night, and was definitely surrounded by an uncommon atmosphere, but the dark-haired man believed regular meals should be observed in order to promote a long and healthy life.

The bounty hunter took a sip of wine as he sat back from the table that had been hastily erected for him, in the middle of his ammunition warehouse. Uragi's cat-like eyes scanned his secret domain with the pride like that of a lauded parent or teacher as he basked in the presence of his children. Crates of explosives and assorted artillery surrounded him, slowly compiled from the puny island's small amount of natural resources.

For five years, Uragi had been building this private stockade. Five years, always with the intent of returning to his home island once more, as friend or by force--whichever was deemed necessary. He would show those marines that he wasn't one that took well to being tossed out with the rest of the trash.

"Take two more of the cannons to the west edge of the island, in case those pirates try to escape." Uragi order as he dabbed at his mouth with a silk handkerchief. "Then take the rest of the men to join the others in the head on attack on the beach. I want that ship sunk no matter what, even if it means revealing our weaponry to those ignorant peasants."

"Yes, sir!" The man gave his ill-formed salute. He quickly produced a tiny silver whistle in which he blew lightly into to gather his men. But the man visibly hesitated before excusing himself from Uragi's presence.

"Yes?" Uragi asked after a moment. Hearing no impatience in that voice bolstered the man's courage and he stepped forward.

"Aren't you coming with us? I mean, to personally see the pirates destroyed?"

Uragi made as if he was giving this question much before finally shaking his head.

"No." he decided. "I think I'll stay here and enjoy the rest of my meal. Besides, I believe tonight's dessert is orange sorbet. It'd be a shame to miss out on that."

"Yes, sir."

"I expect a positive report within the hour."

"Yes, Mr. Uragi, sir."

Uragi turned back to his dinner and began cleaning the food from his plate with the diligence of any man raised by the marines, thereby signaling an end to the conversation. Humming lightly, the bounty hunter suddenly smiled to himself as he stabbed his carving knife into the table.

VVOOOVV

As it was it was nearly ten minutes before Usopp and Chopper made it up to the ship's deck. The reindeer was carrying the sharpshooter over his shoulder like a flour sack. Every now and then he'd give his burden a jostling shake as he walked.

"Usopp!" he muttered. "Stop playing dead! We need to find Vivi and Nami!" Turning the corner, the doctor stopped dead in his tracks. Temporarily forgetting his opossum routine, Usopp struggled to look over Chopper's shoulder from his upside down and backward position.

"Well, you found us." Nami stated sarcastically, a scowl marring her pretty features.

"I'm very sorry, guys." Vivi sniffled.

The two were currently being held hostage by a group of desperate looking men. Two short swords were held at the girl's throats. Vivi, kneeling next to an unconscious Carue, stared up at Chopper plaintively. Nami just gave the two a pointed look.

The reindeer stared back uncertainly. On his shoulder, Usopp gave a weak, meaningful cough.

"cough-badidea-cough!"

Chopper continued to hesitate.

"Well?" Nami asked, exasperated.

Usopp flopped bonelessly over Chopper's back. "Sorry, I'm unconscious right now. I am just speaking to you in my dream-ridden delirium."

"Why you!" Nami raised a fist, only to be halted by a blade digging into her neck. Sighing, she dropped down to sit with Vivi, muttering all the while about useless men and shaving heads while certain long-nosed freaks were asleep.

One of the attackers thought this might be a good time to step forward. "Y-you're surrendering, right? I mean, we'll kill these girls if you don't."

Chopper transformed into his normal, non-threatening form, dropping Usopp to the floor in the process. The reindeer raised his arms in defeat and watched dejectedly as Nami rolled her eyes. A man came up and pointed a pistol at Chopper, effectively preventing any heroic thoughts on his part.

"Why are you doing this?" Vivi demanded with tears in her eyes as she gently cradled Carue's head.

"You pirates started it." The man nearest to her snarled out.

"Yeah, you's attacked us first." Another man replied.

A third man, more calm than the rest and holding a giant smithy hammer, stepped forward. "We won't allow any harm to come our village. We will defend our home with our lives, if we must."

"Attacked?" Nami stated incredulously. "Maybe Luffy tried to eat all your food but I'd hardly call that being attacked! If anything, someone on your island, someone with a devil fruit ability, attacked us!"

"No monster like that exist on this island!" the first man argued as he raised his shovel threateningly. He looked over at the smithy entreatingly. "Let's just kill this bunch and be done with it, Tedu."

The man with the hammer stared down at them, uncertain and Vivi saw a chance to be the voice of reason.

"Look, we have no wish to fight with you or your people and I am truly sorry if some sort of misunderstanding has occurred. Just please let us collect the rest of our crew and we'll be off your island and out of your hair for good with our deepest apologies for having caused you grief."

"Don't listen to that witch, Tedu! They attacked Mr. Uragi! They blew up Shep's inn! Let's gut 'em like the rotten fish they are!" Many of the men muttered their agreement.

"Hey, who're you calling a witch?" Nami raised herself to one knee in her friend's defense. The man with the shovel used the tool to harshly knock the navigator back to the deck, causing Chopper—and even Usopp—to cry out in protest.

Vivi crawled over to Nami, calling to her worriedly until the redhead pushed herself upright once more. "I'm fine…." Nami muttered, spitting blood out from a split lip. She glared up hatefully at the man who struck her down.

Vivi looked around frantically, sensing that the situation had escalated. The men surrounding them were just two steps away from being an all-out mob. The princess knew she had to do something quickly before someone got seriously hurt.

"Please—" the princess's words were abruptly cut off by the man with the shovel.

"Well, what's it gonna be, Tedu?" the lanky man demanded. "Is the town smithy gonna stand up with his people, or is he gonna side with a bunch of bloody pirates?"

"I say we just shoot 'em." The man with the pistol stated. "I'm sure Mr. Uragi'd think pretty highly of us if we brought back their severed heads. Who knows, they might even have a bounty on 'em! We could get rich!"

Many intrigued mumbles spawned from this comment but the man named Tedu silenced them with a gesture. The burly man frowned as he stared at the pirates, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.

"Don't you forget that we're mainly a peaceful sort of town." He reminded his companions in a low voice. "We won't kill unless there is no other choice. This bunch surrendered so we'll take them back to town--alive—until we can hold a fair type of trial."

Many grumbles and groans followed this statement. The blacksmith frowned and turned a full circle, meeting each one of his fellow's eyes until their protest's died. When all was quiet, he gave an approving nod.

"All right, tie them up and we'll--"

The escalating reverberation of an animalistic growl unerringly drew all of their attention, friend and foe alike, to the darkened doorway leading below deck. A doorway that was no longer empty.

No one seemed to remember who uttered it, but in the sudden stillness one name dropped into the night air with such awe as is normally reserved for gods.

"Zoro…."


	10. Chapter 10

Loyalties  
By AstroKender  
Warnings: Some cursing, blood, and violence. Par for the course, really.  
Notes: Ugh. Sometimes scenes just take over and refuse to let go. I expected to get through a lot more of the storyline but I guess it wasn't in the cards. My apologies to Luffy and Sanji, who I didn't get the chance to get to. Oh, and Carue, who is still out of commission for and unknown amount of time.  
Feedback: there is an annoying button at the bottom of the screen just begging to be punched.  
Disclaimers: One Piece belongs to Eichiro Oda, 4kids and various other affiliates. I don't own em, I don't make money off em, I just play with them. 

On to the Zoro-y goodness! (mmm....)

Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

He had given up…

"Zoro…." The swordsman's sharp hearing caught his name fall from Chopper's lips in a soft sigh. The doctor would surely be angry later for disobeying his orders to stay below deck.

He really had given up.

"Mr. Bushido…."

He had been content to just lie there peacefully on that damn uncomfortable table-- to sleep until death finally reached out with its icy grip and claimed him. He would've left this world peacefully, accepting that no matter how strong he was, he couldn't fight against fate and win….

"I'm saved!"

So why, why mind you, did stupid shit like this have to happen?

"Zoro!"

The only light came from the dim moon and a handful of dingy oil lamps, but it was more than adequate illumination for the casual observer to get a firm handle on the situation unveiling on the main deck of the Going Merry. Though, right now, Zoro was anything but casual.

Zoro's narrowed eyes regarded his crewmates. People who had battled defiantly against the evil tyrant Arlong. People who had stood before giants and fought against the irritating trickery of Baroque Works' higher agents. People who had braved storms and sea monsters and anything else that came their way.

People that were currently allowing themselves to be captured by a bunch of middle aged village folk from some island that time forgot.

Zoro sighed as he stepped forward, wondering if it was really worth the trouble to rescue these idiots.

The Straw Hat Crew's reactions upon the sudden appearance of their comrade ranged from shock to dismay to absolute tear-spilling joy (for not having to be the one to take all these deranged men on.) Nami, herself, seemed to be quite pleased as she jumped to her feet and shot Usopp --who had completely forgotten he was supposed to be unconscious-- a haughty look, as if it were she that had summoned Zoro from the deep belly of the ship.

"Finally! Someone that can at least pull off a decent rescue." The redhead waved her arms in Zoro's direction in emphasis. In fact, if Zoro didn't rescue them, Nami would certainly make sure his life was a living hell. It was a simple matter to put some of Usopp's itching powder in a certain swordsman's clothing.

Usopp gave an irritated twitch and flopped back onto the deck with sulking pout bowing under his long nose. Turning his head he let out an indignant sniff.

"I didn't see you saving us." He muttered defensively.

By now it was high time that the village mob had gathered their wits about them enough to finally react to Zoro's presence. Ominous muttering and cries of outrage rose in pitch as, like a single entity, the crowd charged forward. But by that time the green-haired swordsman was already on the move.

Bare feet pounded across the deck like a one-man stampede as Zoro left the shadow of the doorway and sped towards those unfortunate enough to interrupt his sleep. Sweat dampened palms struggled to keep a firm grip on his katanas as eyes that just wouldn't seem to focus properly laboriously latched onto his nearest target.

'I'm not just going to roll over and die.' Zoro decided as he slashed at his first opponent --the one holding Chopper at gunpoint-- creating a deep gash down the man's arm that forced him to drop his pistol or loose his hand to the pirate's downward stroke. One bash to the man's head with the hilt of Zoro's sword and he ceased to be an obstacle.

Zoro's attention then latched on to the two men pointing their own cheaply made swords at his comrades. Two swords against two swords seemed fair enough, even though fairness at this point was the last thing on Zoro's mind. The green-haired man quickly darted forward in a low cross cut that easily disposed of both enemies simultaneously.

'I will fight against fate and create my own destiny.'

Zoro shut his eyes as this new resolution settled with in him. He was always too stubborn to give up before; why start now? Ignoring the pain sending warning flares across his body, Zoro opened his eyes and raised his swords once more as he twisted around to dispatch some foolhardy soul that had tried to sneak up behind him. Sparing his companions the briefest of glances, he managed to push enough air past his unbearably dry throat to form a single question.

"Didn't you guys even try to put up a fight?" his words came out amidst a combination of a snarl and a cough. The others had the decency to look appropriately guilty and Zoro shook his head in disgust.

A sudden fit of wracking coughs prevented Zoro from berating them further. Zoro's lips clamped down stubbornly as he fought to keep control over his body as the muffled coughs threatened to send him spilling over the deck. But the coughs were harsh and deep, causing his tongue to slide back against his throat, gagging him. When the spell finally passed, Zoro found himself fighting to keep his footing on legs that felt like jelly. Irritated at his own weakness, Zoro shot a shaky glare towards his companions, silently warning them to wipe the expressions of concern from their faces.

A low rumble vibrated across the deck and Zoro shifted his attention to finally focus on the half a dozen men that were currently rushing towards him in a unanimous sort of rage as they held their weapons aloft. The green-haired man allowed a sickly grin to creep over his face as he forced a small breath into his battered lungs.

"What? You want some too?" he rasped out a humorless laugh as he slid his two swords together like oversized carving knives.

'I refuse to give up with out a fight. I'm not going to just give up and die, damn it.' Zoro's mind repeated the empowering phrases of self-encouragement as the swordsman swung out his katanas in a wide arc.

"Come on then!" he taunted as his swords slashed forward.

"Stop!" A feminine voice screamed.

Surprised, Zoro only barely pulled his swords back in time to prevent himself from slicing Vivi clean in two. His heart pounded wildly in his chest as he fought down the one second of pure terror that had frozen his blood. Zoro gave a small shudder and his body seemed to physically droop as the mental backlash of his brief panic blanketed him.

His momentum lost, the swordsman's injuries proceeded in making themselves blatantly known. Pain crawled through every nerve in his body, making even his hair hurt, and it was all Zoro could do not to drop to his knees then and there. As it was, his weakened grip loosened even more, causing Yubashiri to fall to the ship's deck with a deafening clatter.

Chest heaving, the swordsman grabbed the blue-haired girl's arm in a harsh grip as the others looked on in shock.

"What do you think you're doing?" Zoro snarled.

"You can't fight them, Mr. Bushido!" Vivi spoke quickly; imploringly. "They're just confused villagers!"

"So that gives them the right to kill us?" Zoro shoved the princess aside as he blocked the downward slash of an iron shovel aimed straight at Vivi's head.

The swordsman held on to Sandai Kitetsu two handed, like a lifeline, as he sliced through the shovel's handle to sink the cursed blade deeply into Vivi's attacker. Wrenching his weapon free with a wicked squelch of blood, Zoro turned to swipe at his next opponent before the first man had even fallen to prone the deck.

"You have to stop!" Clawing fingernails bit into his flesh as Vivi scrabbled for a grip on Zoro's bare skin. Growling, the green-haired man tried to shake her off, but Alabasta's princess would not yield.

"Vivi, let him be." Nami called out. Vivi just shook her head frantically as she tightened her death grip on Zoro's arm.

"Please," she begged the swordsman. "If we just talk to them…"

"I don't have time for pointless talk." Zoro said, his eyes dark and unforgiving. "If these guys are stupid enough to want to die then let them."

It may have been because of the poison, or perhaps because of his wounds, but Zoro actually fell backwards a step as Vivi's palm slammed into his cheek. The swordsman hadn't even seen the hand that had struck him until the sharp sting registered in his brain. The slap succeeded in shocking Zoro out of his battle-haze and he found himself staring blankly at the girl, completely dumbfounded.

Vivi stared back at him with angry blue eyes. "What gives you the right to decide who lives or dies?" she demanded, her voice low with repressed emotion. "All these men are trying to do is protect something! Even if their actions are misplaced, does that give you the right to punish them for it?"

Zoro stared down at the princess, unable or unwilling to reply.

"Zoro! Look Out!" Chopper's high-pitched warning cut through the heavy silence like a bolt of lightning.

Zoro spun around just in time to see a giant steel hammer swing through the air towards him. Unable to react in time, he was completely off guard as the mallet, originally intended for his skull, crashed into his left shoulder and across part of his upper arm. Zoro's last remaining katana went skittering across the deck as the swordsman himself was flung backwards.

"Mr. Bushido!" Zoro heard Vivi scream.

Wincing, the green-haired man tried to move his injured arm as he fought to regain his feet. But both gestures were hopeless, as his left arm hung lifeless from where it dangled from a newly dislocated shoulder and his equilibrium had been shot to hell by the bone crushing impact against the solid wooden deck.

A feeling of warmth ran down Zoro's back and he could feel his bandages loosen a bit as the fabric was slowly soaked with blood. A couple tentative shifts allowed the swordsman to make a rough estimate that at least two of his gunshot wounds had been ripped open by the force of his fall.

Great. Just great.

Zoro once again tried to stand and had to swallow a mouth full of bile as a wave of dizziness rushed through him. He really had lost too much blood when he let himself get shot like that before. Zoro was sure to send his captain a mental curse for his current handicap as the swordsman finally settled on a wobbly crouch on the blood-smeared deck.

"Not a step further ladies." Zoro heard the man with the hammer warn. The injured swordsman looked up blearily to where Vivi and Nami had rushed forward in order to assist him.

It was probably for the best that the man stopped them, Zoro thought, past the sound of buzzing bees that had taken residence in his skull. Nami probably would have charged for any little bit of help she gave. Two hundred beli for a hand up, maybe…and an additional thousand beli for the chipped fingernail she'd get in the process….

Zoro sucked in a painful snort as he belatedly realized that the fever must have made him delirious.

The man with the hammer had turned to the handful of his remaining men. "One of you signal to the shore for back up." He ordered. "Someone else, go below deck and see if any of our men are still alive. If the pirates continue to resist we shall take them back by any means necessary." He shot Vivi a grim look. "Even dead, if we must."

"No…" Vivi moaned, her head dropping in defeat. Nami rested a comforting hand on her shoulder as she sent the man a defiant glare.

The self-appointed leader walked cautiously over towards Zoro, like one would approach an injured beast. "You," he pointed. "You're the one Hana was talking about, aren't you? The one that was running around killing people while looking for armor."

Zoro made no move to confirm or deny this statement.

"I knew you were bad news as soon as you entered my shop." The smithy said as he swung his hammer up off his shoulder with practiced skill. Taking the cumbersome smithy tool in a two handed grip, the older man carefully shifted his stance for and easier attack. "You're a devil to this island, and for that reason I can't allow you to live."

Zoro broke down into a harsh coughing laugh that made the hair raise on his companion's necks with the wave of black emotions that accompanied it. "Tedu, wasn't it? And what do you think you can do to me that hasn't already been done?" He asked between irregular breaths. "Your looking at a dead man walking here, I'm just trying to take a few more wretched souls with me on my way to hell."

Usopp shot Chopper a look of alarm as the others looked on in confusion. The sharpshooter's eyes were hard behind the glare of his goggles as he silently demanded that the little reindeer refute Zoro's last statement. Zoro didn't really mean what he said, right?

Chopper cast his eyes away, refusing to answer.

But as the doctor watched the steel hammer raise up above Zoro's head, a great wave of rage swept through him. Chopper was sick and tired of feeling helpless… of being a burden to those around him… He was sick of being stupid and useless and cowardly.

He was a pirate, damn it! It was about time he acted like one!

A mighty roar tore everyone's attention to the small reindeer as Chopper burst into his humanoid form. Flexing his giant arms he let out a scream that held all of his anger and sadness and frustration at the meekness in which he had greeted the smallest of obstacles that had hindered his path. The doctor let out all his pent-up emotions in that one, ear-ringing yell before charging forward towards Zoro's attacker.

Two ham-sized fists enclosed around the head of the smithy's giant hammer, stopping its downward arc. With a low growl only truly mastered by an animal, Chopper shot the man a disapproving glare before yanking on the hammer and pulling the man holding it completely off the ground.

Chopper's momentum didn't halt there, however, as he began to spin in place like a human axle, causing the man, who didn't dare release his grip now, to fly through the air in increasingly widening circles.

"I'll ask you nicely…" Chopper's voice warbled through the Doppler field, trailing off after each ever-quickening rotation.

"Please…leave…my…friends…ALONE!" the last word was shouted out as the reindeer finally released his grip, causing both man and hammer to sail through the air and over the water before both finally plunged into the deeper section of the bay.

Panting slightly, Chopper looked around at his awestruck comrades as he popped back into his normal disarming form. "What?"

"Chopper…" Zoro breathed.

"That was amazing!" Nami grinned wildly as she raised her fist into the air in excitement. "I didn't know you had it in you, Tony."

Chopper blushed and fidgeted about. "Shut up. It's not like I care about your praise. Jerk." He muttered while dancing in place. "Stupid asshole… your words mean nothing to me…"

More prancing followed.

"Yes, yes…" Usopp nodded sagely. "Very heroic, our young Chopper. But it was nothing compared to the speedily way in which I would have dispatched our enemy…." He boasted.

"Then," Nami grinned slyly. "Would you care to take on those guys?" she pointed off to the sharpshooter's right.

Usopp paled considerably as he spotted the three angry men rushing towards them. Biting back a fearful yelp, the long-nosed boy quickly darted behind Nami's back.

"Zoro, save me!" he called out to the fallen swordsman.

Nami swiftly punched Usopp over the head. "Grow some back bone, will ya?"

The two blinked in surprise as the three men ran blindly past them and towards the ship's rail. Shouting parting curses at the befuddled pirates, the men quickly jumped ship. The Going Merry was now devoid of any conscious intruders.

"What do you think that was about?" Vivi wondered.

Chopper shook his head in ignorance while Nami opened her mouth to reply, but a cracking sound in the distance halted he words. The navigator's eyes widened as something flew past her head, so close that it took with it a few precious strands of hair.

Usopp hurriedly yanked her towards the deck as more shots were heard. "Gunfire! Everyone, get down!" he shouted. As Zoro was already kneeling and the fact that, with Chopper's height, the reindeer was technically already down, only Vivi obeyed Usopp's sharp command. Multiple small, nearly invisible objects made whistling noises as they shot over head.

"Where did all those guns come from?" Usopp asked no one in particular. "They sure weren't sitting in that weapon's shop."

"Look! You can see lights from the beach!" Vivi pointed forward a bit awkwardly, careful not to enter the line of fire. Indeed, there seemed to be a line of torches stringing the sandy dune that rose above the wave-swept shore. And below those torches, dozens and dozens of black shadows could be seen—a veritable militia of gun-wielding attackers.

"Every person on the island must be on that hill!" Chopper exclaimed before giving a frightened yelp as a stray bullet scraped past one of his antlers. The reindeer dropped to the deck like a brick, too frightened to even breathe.

Nami gazed out into the darkness, biting her lip as she worked through this logistical disaster. Right now they were sitting ducks sitting out here on the water. But, there was no way any of them would be able to rush the beach before getting shot down. Their only hope was to follow their attacker's lead and parry with their own long ranged attack.

"Usopp, do you think you can reach them with your slingshot?"

"Are you kidding?" Usopp's eyebrows disappeared beneath his bandanna as he stared at the redhead incredulously. "At this angle I'd be lucky to even hit the island!"

"Then what do you suggest, genius?" Nami snapped. "That we just lie here and hope they'll go away?"

"Maybe they'll run out of bullets…." Usopp suggested timidly.

"Where the hell are Luffy and Sanji?" Nami moaned as she beat her forehead against the ship's deck in despair. "They'd take care of this bunch in no time."

"Like I need some shitty cook to save my ass…" Nami stopped her self-inflicted abuse, uncertain whether she had imagined the comment. "Leave it to me…" The voice spoke again, followed by a sound of a sickening crack. "I'll handle it."

The others looked back to where Zoro now stood, carefully rotating his arm after he had popped it back into its socket. Zoro's face was paper-white and tinted a sickly green around the lips. The man looked as if he would pass out any minute and could only be standing there on willpower alone. But for Zoro, that was all that was needed as his eyes shone with that typical look of determination that only appeared when he was about to do something incredibly stupid and self-mutilating.

The swordsman paid no heed to the bullets flying past him as he cast his eyes about for his missing swords. A bullet hit the mast about two centimeters from Zoro's chest, sending a spray of splinters to imbed themselves into Zoro's bare flesh like miniature arrows. The green-haired man showed no sign of even noticing, however, as his eyes latched onto a shining length of metal.

"Zoro! Get down!" Nami yelled out.

"You'll get shot!" Vivi added.

"Wouldn't be the first time…." Zoro muttered to himself as he bent over to pick up Sandai Kitetsu.

About five bullets whistled through the air directly above Zoro's stooped form and Nami thought that she might tear her hair out with apprehension as she looked on with the frightened expectation of the swordsman going down in a flurry of gunfire. Nami's wide eyes caught sight of Zoro's second katana just as the green-haired man straightened from his stooped position. Thinking quickly, Nami grabbed the blade and dangled it like bait.

"Here's your stupid sword Zoro. Now just get crawl over here and you can have it." She explained in watch she felt was a reasonable tone. But Zoro just looked at her like she had just asked him to light himself on fire.

"Does it look like I can crawl, woman?" Zoro griped as he strode calmly towards her. Watching him, Nami's patience snapped.

"Will you get down, you idiot? You're their fricken target practice standing up like that!" Nami growled as she yanked hard on Zoro's leg. The swordsman, already off balance, fell to the deck with a muffled curse coupled with a grunt of pain.

"Serves you right, damn it. Now, get some sense. There is no way you can fight all those guys in your condition. You'd probably drown before you'd even reach the beach!" Nami growled as she shoved Yubashiri into Zoro's open palm. The sword dropped before his hand could get a proper grip on it and Zoro was forced to pick it up once more.

"I'm fine." Zoro insisted as his fumbling fingers finally curled around the katana's hilt.

"Are you kidding?" the navigator exclaimed. "Look at you, you can't even keep a grip on your swords!"

"Then tie them on, damn it!" Zoro roared.

Nami fell backwards, stunned. "What?"

"You heard me." Zoro spoke a bit more calmly as he raised Yubashiri to his chest. One swift downward stroke and Zoro's bandages fell away to float to the deck in red and white ribbons. He looked at Nami expectantly.

"I--I…" Nami stuttered as she fought for some way to rationalize with the green-haired man. Zoro couldn't expect them to actually go along with this crazy plan. It was suicide!

"Do it." Zoro ordered, his gaze unwavering. He made a small motion towards Usopp, who had been crouching on Nami's other side. "You too." He waved the long-nosed boy forward.

Usopp slowly crawled to Zoro's side, uncharacteristically silent. Wordlessly, the dark-haired boy picked up a handful of discarded bandages and started to wrap them around the swordsman's hand, which was still holding one of his katana.

"Wait." Zoro interrupted quickly. "Turn it around. Yeah, like that."

Nami stared incredulously as Usopp tied the blade in place backwards, with the edge pointing towards Zoro. Shaking her head, the navigator scooted backwards.

"You're plum crazy, do you know that, Zoro? How are you going to cut anything like that?"

Zoro stared at the wooden deck as he slowly scratched his nose with his free hand. "It's like Vivi said, these idiots don't know what the hell they're doing. It's not their fault that Uragi is manipulating them."

Hearing these words as she sat shielding Carue's unconscious form, Vivi's lips curled up into a small smile. "Thank you…" she whispered, too soft for anyone to hear.

Usopp make short work of binding Zoro's other hand. "This is the tightest knot I know how to do," the sharpshooter finally spoke and his eyes met Zoro's own. "They shouldn't come loose."

Zoro stood, giving Usopp a friendly nudge on his way up. "Then you better hope I don't have to go to the bathroom…." He said in a deadpan voice that brought a chuckle to even Nami's lips.

Chopper jumped up quickly as Zoro made his way to the rail. The little reindeer grabbed a hold of Zoro's pants like a child pleading for their parent not to leave. "Zoro, don't push yourself like this! You won't last!"

Zoro looked down at Chopper, his eyes resolute. "This is my choice, Chopper. To me, it's better than the alternative."

Chopper's hooves loosened their hold and Zoro leapt nimbly onto the rail, feeling new strength invading his limbs. He cast his gaze back at his solemn-faced friends. The eyes that stared back at him were each filled with some different mix of emotion. Zoro was certain to acknowledge each one in turn before his lips widened into his usual sardonic grin.

"Well…I'm off." He said and then he was gone, lost in the dark waves of the sea.

VVOOOVV


	11. Chapter 11

Loyalties  
By AstroKender  
Warnings: ANGST! Oh sweet, overwhelming angst!Also, written in a fair rush without a beta, grammer mistakes may abound.  
Notes: Wow, this chapter has nearly impossible to write. Took forever really, and I already had the basics of it typed in. But to reward the loyal reader for their wait I present a nice, extra-long chapter (with the warning that it will be another long wait before then next chapter is out)  
Feedback: there is an annoying button at the bottom of the screen just begging to be punched.  
Disclaimers: One Piece belongs to Eichiro Oda, 4kids and various other affiliates. I don't own em, I don't make money off em, I just play with them. 

Chapter 11

"Enough, Sanji..." Luffy panted as he collapsed onto the ground. "I can't go any further."

Hearing his captain's defeated words, Sanji realized that they had wasted too much time; Luffy would go no further unless physically forced. His own energy draining, Sanji quickly dispatched the last of their attackers with a firm kick upside the head before folding in on himself. Resting his hands on his own wobbly knees was the only way the cook could keep himself from joining in Luffy's full sprawl upon the ground.

"It's just a little further." The blonde promised as he gasped for breath. "We were just unlucky, running into that mob. It should be easy going from here."

Luffy only groaned in reply as a horrific growl reverberated through the air. The dark-haired boy grabbed his stomach and rolled mindlessly from one side to the other and back again.

"I can't..." he whined. "I'm too hungry to move."

Sanji fought down a wave of irritation that he knew was misplaced. After all, they both were exhausted. Dozens of bruises and scratches covered the two from trying to navigate through the scraggly underbrush in the dark. Both of them were completely painted in mud from numerous tumbles into sinkholes and hidden marshes. And now the bodies of nearly at least eight men lay in various poses of unconsciousness around them.

In short, this wasn't one of their better days.

But, regardless of their own aches and pains, there were those that needed their help right now. The cook knew that they couldn't afford to be lying around while it was clear the Going Merry was under attack. The others wouldn't be able to surpass a mob that size; not without their three strongest fighters.

"If any of those bastards harms even one hair on Miss Nami or Vivi, I will personally sink this entire island myself." Sanji muttered through clenched teeth as he tried to massage the cramp from his lower back.

"Wha?" Luffy mumbled tiredly as he let out a jaw-cracking yawn.

"Nothing." Sanji straightened and approached his drifting captain.

"Come on, Luffy. We have to keep going."

"But Sanji..." His name came out a pitiful whine.

"But nothing! You're ship and crew are being attacked, Captain!" the blonde snapped, his nerves frayed to the breaking point.

Sanji's patience stretched only so far with Luffy's childish complaints even on a normal day. And then either Zoro or Nami would normally be the one to whip the rubber-boy into shape. But neither of them were conveniently here at the moment. So that left Sanji to be the motivator.

A job in which he was failing at, miserably, he realized, as Luffy refused to budge.

Luffy draped an arm over his eyes carelessly. "I trust everyone." He spoke with his own easy-going conviction. "They won't let anything happen to the Going Merry. So just let me rest here a minute, kay?" the rubber-boy let out another huge yawn. "Besides, Zoro's with them and he's strong."

"He's also poisoned and has more holes in him than one of Usopp's target discs!" Sanji shouted, more than mildly irritated at the tide of worry that arose in his subconscious as those words left his lips. Sure, the green-headed idiot was a pain in the ass, but...well...if he died...

If he died...

"Get up damn it!" Sanji tugged harshly on Luffy's arm and growled as it merely stretched like a roll of dough.

Luffy peered up at him with big black eyes as he idly scratched his nose. "You mentioned something about that poison thing before." The dark-haired boy's eyes nearly crossed as he tried to pull up the memories of a mere two hours before. It was a lost cause, however, and after a moment Luffy gave Sanji an apologetic shrug.

"Does Zoro have a stomachache? Did you put something in his food?" Luffy grinned, remembering all the previous threats the cook had made against the swordsman before.

"No, you idiot! Weren't you even listening before?" Sanji rubbed his eyes in exhaustion, both physical and mental. "That grease guy you were fighting has the Devil's Fruit ability to poison somebody and he did it to Zoro. But that piece of slime can also create the antidote that would cure him."

Luffy smacked his fist into his upraised palm as he sat up, suddenly enlightened. "Ah, so it's a mystery grease." He stated, showing that he clearly had no clue what was going on.

"Ye-I mean, no!" Sanji felt the gears in his head grinding to a halt. "Listen, we got to find that bastard so we can get the antidote to Chopper!" Zoro's only got until sunrise, Sanji's fists clenched in dread. That's only a few hours away...

"But I thought we were going to the ship. That grease guy ain't gonna be there."

"Of course we're going to the-wait." The blonde halted in mid-speech. "How do you know that?"

"Cause I heard him say so." Luffy answered, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Sanji's mind raced forward as it quickly assimilated this new tidbit of information. Even if they did find Uragi, neither of them were in any shape to take the bounty hunter on. What they needed was some hefty back up. With Zoro out of commission, the Straw Hat Crew had lost one of their key powerhouses. If there was any chance in defeating Uragi and getting that cure for Zoro, they absolutely needed Luffy in top form. And if Sanji didn't get some food into Luffy, it wouldn't matter how many reinforcements they brought.

Food and rest and probably medical treatment; all of these required time that they simply did not have.

Sanji shook his head as he realized he was wasting time just standing there and brooding about wasting time. Heaving a mall sigh of resignation, the blonde squatted down by his captain. Luffy's head tilted as he stared back at him, his eyes showing curiosity even through his weariness. Sanji managed to call up a crooked grin even as his body desperately craved a dose of nicotine.

"Hey, you stay here and rest, and I'll go scout ahead and make sure we don't run into anymore of those villagers. When I get back we'll go to the ship and I'll cook you something, deal?"

"Really?" Luffy's eyes lit up in joy.

Sanji shook a finger under the boy's nose. "Yeah. But, no complaints and no more stopping!" the blonde demanded, his voice firm as he rose to his feet. "I'll be back in just a few minutes so gather your strength. If I end up having to carry you back, I'll put you on a meat-free diet for a month!"

Luffy gulped audibly at this threat and watched with wide eyes as the cook disappeared from view. The rubber-boy heard the sound of rattling bushes and muffled curses fade as the distance widened between the two.  
As he sat there in the dark, Luffy idly wondered why Zoro hadn't told him he had a stomachache.

VVOOOVV

"Usopp! What do you think you're doing?" Nami cried as she watched the sharpshooter warily rise to his feet. Bent low, Usopp slowly carefully made his way over to the main mast, wincing every time a bullet whizzed by a little too close for comfort.

"Like you said, Zoro's gonna be target practice." He called back as one hand reached out for the first rung of the mast's built-on ladder. "I've got to do something."

"I told you your pachinko balls are going to be as effect as spit balls to those people!" Nami shouted as Usopp began to scale the mast.

"Do you have a better, idea? Or do you just want to watch as Zoro gets shot...again?"

That one hit a nerve and it was all Nami could do not to climb up the mast after the long-nosed boy and shove her staff where the sun didn't shine. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she watched idly as Chopper rushed to Vivi's side to check on Carue, who still hadn't regained consciousness. What could they possibly do that would be any real help to that green-haired fool?

"Of course!" Nami nearly smacked herself in the head. Their ship had a cannon, didn't it? Since they'd only used it a few times, the navigator often forgot it was there. Not taking the time to inform the others of her plan-after all Zoro had to be almost to shore by now-Nami's bare feet slapped against the deck as she ran full throttle towards the stairs leading down into the ship's hull.

Through a small shaft in the fore of the bow lay the ship's small armory. A single cannon, a half-empty box of gunpowder and a pile of dusty cannon balls. There were five cannonballs in total, plus a sixth that was already loaded into the cannon in case of an emergency.

The navigator was sure that there were more cannonballs in the storage room, but Nami knew for a fact she wouldn't be able to drag even one back to the armory. Indeed, she doubted she had the strength to even reload the cannon after firing the first shot.

"So one shot, huh?" Nami murmured as she rolled up the sleeves of her pajamas. "I'd better make it count, then."

Staring at the cannon, however, the redhead realized something. The cannon was pointing the wrong direction. Out to sea, rather than towards the shore.

"Shit."

VVOOOVV

The water was cold. Colder than would be expected in a temperate climate such as this. The swords strapped to his hands made swimming difficult as Zoro struggled to find a stroke that wouldn't make him inadvertently maim himself. The tide was strong, and threatened to pull him deep under its opaque depths.

The telltale cracking of rifles filtered through the swordsman's waterlogged hearing, pointing him in the correct direction as he let the larger waves push him closer to shore. Blinking the salt from his eyes, Zoro could blearily see the line of torches dotting the dune's peak. The villagers were commanding higher ground, giving them an advantage against attack. Zoro would have to play his game just right to keep himself from getting shot.

Again.

Thinking of his wounds only brought them to Zoro's attention. They hurt like hell. Stinging, as they soaked in their saltwater bath. If the green-haired man were lucky, the scent of his blood wouldn't draw any sharks that may be gliding around close to shore.

Funny, for some reason Zoro didn't feel particularly lucky today.

Thankfully, the swordsman drew close to the shore without anything trying to leave a toothy impression on him. After a few more healthy pushes from the sea, Zoro's foot grazed the sandy bottom of the ocean's bed. Heaving himself forward took some effort, but at least he wasn't wearing all that much clothing that would have weighed him down even further. Legs like jelly, Zoro fought his way out of the surf.

The harsh breeze coming off the water hit him like a hammer, creating chill bumps all up and down his body. The sky above was darkening with storm clouds, blending in with the ground below and obscuring the horizon. Zoro wondered how the mob could even manage to hit the Going Merry, but a quick glance back showed the ship's lanterns burning like a homing beacon for the enemy's bullets.

Bah. Idiots.

Even at a distance, Zoro could pinpoint the exact second that the villagers caught sight of him, emerging from the foam like some ancient ocean god coming to show his wrath for disturbing the peace of the sea. Indeed, at that point the sky released a terrific bolt of lightning that stuck the dark waters off in the distance, providing a nice touch to ominous air Zoro had hoped to create. If he could just get these idiots to run away, he wouldn't have to waste the time trying not to kill them. After all, they weren't his enemy.

He was after Uragi.

The mob of villagers, upon seeing him, did indeed stumble back a bit, seemingly entranced by the way Zoro's swords gleamed in the torch light. But, far from running away in fear, the men hastily turned their guns towards him.

Well, they were certainly a ballsy bunch, the swordsman would give them that.

Zoro prepared to charge, fully expecting to get shot down before he even crested the sand dune. He was more than halfway up when he realized that the mob wasn't even firing. Peering into the circles of light, the swordsman saw the villagers looking about wildly as though searching for some unseen attacker. As Zoro watched, one man suddenly clutched his head before falling backwards. Another, beside him cursed in pain as he dropped his rifle. The man cradled his hand to his torso, as if nursing a wound.

As the men seemed to get more and more agitated, Zoro couldn't help the tide of natural curiosity. What on earth was going on? His answer quickly rolled down the dune to rest bump the green-haired man's big toe. A silver pachinko ball glittered in the dim light causing Zoro's lips to upturn in a self-rebuking smirk.

Maybe even idiots come in handy, once and awhile.

VVOOOVV

"Nnnnnhhhhhh!"

Grunting, Nami shoved her shoulders into the side of the cannon, willing it to budge even an centimeter. The solid iron contraption had to weigh over two hundred kilos. The navigator bit her lip as her bare feet kept sliding from underneath her, making her lose her leverage.

"Come on, you piece of crap..."

There! She felt it shift, just a little.

Nami pushed harder, feeling the wooden floor's uneven surface dig tiny splinters into the pads of her feet. Gritting her teeth, the redhead pushed back with all her might, biting back a scream as sweat poured down her face. The cannon shifted a half a centimeter and then another and soon Nami was rewarded with the sound of metal scrapping against wood with a tortured shriek.

Panting, the navigator fell to the floor in exhaustion. It would have been easier just to have moved the ship, but the task was already done. Nami looked wearily stared out the makeshift window at where the cannon's barrel now pointed unerringly toward a flickering line of torches. Nami could hear the faint yells of the men she knew had to be standing underneath.

With a quick prayer that Zoro wouldn't get caught in the crossfire and thereby undermine all her previous efforts, the redhead snatched up a bedraggled box of matches and struck one alight. Nami held it to the cannon's fuse and then quickly backed away, shielding her ears in nervous anticipation.

A bloody great boom was what she expected and she wasn't disappointed. Ears ringing, Nami peered through the cloud of smoke, wondering if her shot had hit it's target. The distant sounds of terrified shrieks and an answering thud told her that it might have just done the trick.

"Nami, was that you?" A quavering voice stumbled down the stairs.

Taking the steps two at a time, Nami darted back onto the deck, giving Chopper a grin and a quick pat on the hat as she ran past. Reaching the mast, the redhead fought for enough breath to shout.

"Usopp! Put that pea shooter away and get your ass down here and help me!"

We'll have those villagers running with their tails between their legs, she thought with satisfied glee. Oh, yes, Zoro was definitely going to owe her some serious cash for this one.

"What in the world did you do?" Usopp shouted down as he slowly descended the mast. "That was our cannon, right?"

Nami was practically beaming as she opened her mouth to answer, but Vivi's involuntary cry muted her words. Turning, Nami watched the blue-haired girl grab her arm and fall back to the deck. Sharp whistles filled the air, piercing the ship and anything else in its path. Bullets.

"Vivi! Everyone get down, they're firing on us again!" The redhead certainly hadn't expected this. Nami cursed at her plan's unwanted side effect. Her cannon fire earlier had just proclaimed the Going Merry as a definite threat.

"Usopp! Maybe you should head back up to the crow's nest." She called up the mast as she crouched behind it for protection.

"What? But I'm already halfway-" whatever else the long-nosed boy was about to say was lost in his own scream. The sound of a bullet ripping through something much softer than wood echoed through the air. Nami watched in horror as the sharpshooter lost his hold on the ladder and plummeted headfirst towards the deck.

Nami flinched away as the boy hit the solid surface with a sickening thud. Her scream seemed to blend seamlessly with Chopper and Vivi's own.

"USOPP!"

VVOOOVV

Zoro quickly disposed of the small handful of men attacking him as he pushed his way up the collapsing sand dune. A cannonball had hurtled into it only moments ago, smashing into the dune and effectively cutting off one half of it from the other. Zoro had been lucky enough to be on the side with the least resistance.

The bulk of the men, on the other half, were not standing idly, however. Scared out of their wits at the possibility of another attack, the remaining mob fired wildly in the Going Merry's direction, as if trying to sink the ship by the weight of their metal slugs alone.

Cursing the foolish pirates he chose to sail with, Zoro backed up a meter before dashing into a running jump that took him across the newly made gap between him and his opponents. He turned his awkward and more than slightly clumsy landing into an acrobat's tumble as he rolled to his feet like a cat.

The group of men hadn't even noticed his flying entrance, so absorbed they were in firing and reloading their weapons.

Grinning to himself, the green-haired man disguised his now obvious limp by dashing forward in an all out charge, swords held aloft. The villagers hadn't even any time to scream as his blades Came crashing down methodically as Zoro spun about in a deadly waltz.

The men brave enough to open their eyes after such an attack gasped in terrified awe as, one by one, their rifles fell to pieces. Looking down the line at their fellows, they saw that all of them were similarly disarmed.

Zoro leveled them all with a warning look, before turning his back and striding down the sandy dune-not back towards the sea, but deeper onto the island. To the small town where Uragi must be hiding out, gloating over his supposed victory.

"Sorry, guys," Zoro muttered as the sea disappeared from view. "This is all the help I can give you right now."

Above him, the dark clouds broke with their first spattering of rain.

VVOOOVV

Luffy was gazing duly up into the sky when a fat drop of rain smacked him right in the nose, effectively awakening him from his hunger-driven stupor.

"Huh?" Luffy blinked widely, only to be rewarded with a raindrop splashing into his right eye. "Hey!"

Bolting quickly into a sitting position, the dark-haired boy squinted into the sky accusingly as more and more raindrops fell to earth. Within minutes the already marshy ground was practically soaked, and the Going Merry's captain along with it.

"Stupid rain..." Luffy muttered as he curled into himself with a shiver. "Where's that Sanji, anyway? I thought he was bringing me food." The rubber boy sneezed before jumping to his feet, slipping a little because of the wet grass.

"Sanji said to stay here." Luffy reminded himself. "But he probably didn't know it was gonna rain. It'll be too wet to make a fire, which means we won't be able to cook any meat." The dark-haired boy was now pacing as he pondered this new dilemma.

"I definitely like my meat better cooked. And you can't cook meat here. And Sanji probably has the meat. So..." Luffy rubbed his hands together with a grin. "I'll just go find Sanji!"

The straw-hat captain twirled in place and trotted into the bushes that he though were the group that his cook had disappeared through. Stumbling through the darkness, Luffy suddenly crashed into something solid that smashed his nose in a painful way and sent his straw hat tumbling off his head.

That solid thing evidentially wasn't all that steady, because it fell backwards with a muffled curse. Luffy, still plowing forward, tripped and landed atop the figure, eliciting a strangled moan. Blinking past his now wet bangs, Luffy stared down at his accoster.

"Zoro?"

"Get...off..." the green-haired man wheezed. "Shot...remember?"

Grinning, Luffy did as he was told and even gave the swordsman a helping hand rising to his own feet. Eyes wide, Luffy stared at his friend. Zoro was coated in a fine layer of sand, the only thing covering him besides a tattered pair of pants. Numerous patches on the swordsman oozed dark, sticky, blood, the pulled stitches attempted vainly to keep the weeping wounds closed. Zoro's swords were drawn and, even without his customary bandanna in place, Luffy could tell the swordsman was ready for a fight.

Luffy quickly tugged on Zoro's arm, as the green-haired man was about to pass him by without a word. "Oiy, Zoro. Where are you going?"

"To take care of some things." The swordsman muttered.

Luffy looked closer into Zoro's closed off expression. Even in the darkness, the straw-hat captain could tell how pale his first mate looked. His skin, rather than cold and clammy like Luffy's own; was hot to the touch. The dark-haired boy somehow knew that the swordsman shouldn't be out in the rain like this.

"You don't look so good." Luffy stated, his hand never leaving Zoro's arm. "Does Chopper know you're running around, probably beating people up?"

"There's nothing he can do for me anyway." The other man sighed out gruffly. Luffy's eyebrow rose in doubt.

"What are you talking about, Chopper's a great doctor! I think..." Luffy said, realizing he hadn't really gotten a chance to see the reindeer actually do any doctoring. "He fixed Nami up when she was sick!" he patted the swordsman solicitously.

Growling, Zoro nudged him away, unable to give him a push because of his swords.

"I'm dying, you idiot!" the green-haired man snarled "He can't fix that!"

"Huh?"

"You heard me."

Luffy crossed his arms over his chest as he gave the bigger man a disapproving frown. "Stop kidding around." He ordered.

"I'm not joking. That goo Uragi turns into is poison. He shot me full of the stuff our first night on the island."

"That's not very funny..." Luffy's arms moved swiftly from their crossed position to jut out from the rubber-boy's hips in the typical scolding position. Luffy wouldn't stand for stupid talk like this. It made him mad.

"Of course it's not!" Zoro shouted back incredulously. "I'm dying! It's not supposed to be funny!"

"I don't like this joke." Luffy turned swiftly on his heel and searched about for his missing hat. Finding it, the boy jammed it angrily atop his head as he began striding away.

Zoro debated on whether or not to just leave things as they were before making up his mind and quickly following in his captain's wake. He just couldn't let it end like this, he owed Luffy more than that.

"It's the truth, Luffy." Zoro called out. This time it was he that halted the other's tracks with a sturdy arm coming across the dark-haired boy's chest. The swordsman was careful his katana was not in a position that would cause the other boy harm if his efforts should be thrown off.

And they were.

"Stop it!" Luffy shouted as he shoved the green-haired man away.

Zoro made no move to break his fall as he tumbled into an awkward sort of sitting position. Sighing heavily, Zoro hung his head.

"In about three hours, I'll be dead." He explained.

"I said stop!" Luffy whirled on him like a hissing cat. Zoro couldn't help it, his temper snapped.

"Face it! I'm going to be worm food! No more adventures, no more battles, no more greatest swordsman. All of it- gone!" Sandai Kitetsu slashed out, swiping a wide swath of foliage into tinder.

"SHUTUP!" Luffy screamed, holding his hands over his ears. "I don't want to hear anymore!"

Luffy's words echoed as they faded into the night. Both parties were silent excepted for their harsh breathing, which was soon overwhelmed by the noise of the increasing rain. The pattering of the rain against Luffy's straw hat soothed the boy's anger into something less harsh, but just as desolate.

"I don't want to hear it." The rubber-boy repeated in a soft whisper that barely carried across the gloom. Stumbling over to Zoro's side, the Luffy collapsed to his knees and leaned his back against the broad expanse of his first mate's own.

"I don't want Zoro to die." Luffy added. Zoro leaned backwards as well, until the two were mutualy supporting each other.

"Yeah, well..." Luffy could feel the swordsman's light shrug. "Join the club."

Silence.

"We had some fun, you and I." Tilting his head, Zoro graced Luffy with a one of his rare smiles, the real kind.

"Yeah." Luffy murmured as he tugged his soaking hat off his head to let it drop carelessly to his lap.

"But even the dreams of pirates have to come to an end." The swordsman stated as he made to rise to his feet. Luffy's hands clutched at him, his face pleading in a way that made Zoro uncomfortable to look at.

"They don't have to end this way." The dark-haired boy beseeched. Zoro shook his head and opened his mouth to reply. But whatever he was going to say died on his lips as Sanji barged out of the underbrush.

"Zoro!" The name tumbled off the blonde's tongue in shock.

"Cook." Zoro pulled both Luffy and himself to their feet and spared Sanji a brief glance before turning away with a smirk. "You look like shit."

"Bite me." Sanji flipped the swordsman off before reaching in his pocket for cigarettes he didn't have. Cursing, the blonde slumped against a gnarled sapling barely big enough to support his weight. He stared into the brush with tired eyes, cursing the rain that chilled his skinny flesh to the bone.

"I bumped into a bunch of villagers." The blonde stated idly. "But they took one look at me and ran away."

"Smart men." Zoro snorted.

"Funny thing is," Sanji continued as though he hadn't heard. "They weren't carrying any weapons."

The cook cast a sideways glance through his sopping hair at his two companions, unable to miss neither the tense atmosphere nor Luffy's unusually silent form. As if sensing his thoughts, Zoro suddenly relaxed.

Rolling his shoulders, he took a few steps through the underbrush "Well," Zoro huffed. "I'm off. Catch you later, you shitty cook." Sanji couldn't help but note that he was heading in the opposite direction of the ship.

Sanji opened his mouth to demand to know where the cabbage-head thought he was going but quickly shut it with a click. Instead, he lifted one shoulder in an indifferent shrug.

"The poison?" Sanji glanced at him from the corner of one eye as he asked with feigned nonchalance. Zoro briefly paused in his steps before speaking, not even bothering to turn around.

"It's taken care of." Was all he would say.

"Zoro."

The green-haired man half turned at the sound of Luffy's voice.

"He's in some warehouse up north." Luffy's gaze bored into him, as if committing each line to memory. Zoro gave him a small sigh and a nod.

"North, huh? Thanks." Zoro was off and walking again and this time he didn't stop as Luffy once again called his name.

"Zoro, wait! Your bandanna..."

Unable to help himself, the swordsman looked back one last time. Luffy had the bloodstained black cloth half raised into the air. The captain's eyes shone like beacons in the darkness, heavy with some unnamed emotion. Zoro swallowed a lump in his throat before calling back hoarsely.

"Take good care of it, Pirate King!"

Sanji stared at Zoro's retreating form until it vanished into the darkness. Shoving himself upright and giving a long stretch, Sanji attempted to pop his neck before bending over to knock out the sand that had crept into his shoes. When the blonde straightened once more he noticed that Luffy hadn't moved even an inch from where he had been watching the swordsman leave.

Sanji raised one curled eyebrow before walking back towards the uneven path to the ship. He made sure to 'accidentally' nudge the dark-haired boy on his way past, hoping to knock Luffy out of his uncharacteristic daze.

"Warehouse?" Sanji muttered, only half to himself. "Ch. It's not like that idiot even knows which way north is"  
"He'll find it."

Sanji cocked his head at that firm voice and gave a small smile. It seemed that his captain had pulled himself together. Glancing back, however, Sanji was shocked to see the boy's shoulders shaking. Confused, and more than a little worried, Sanji walked back and placed a hesitant hand on Luffy's shoulder.

"Hey, if I didn't know any better, I'd swear you two were saying goodbye for good." Luffy said nothing and Sanji craned his head to stare at the boy's face, which was totally void of expression. Panicked, the blonde gave the rubber-boy a small shake.

"Oiy, Luffy?"

Luffy just continued to stare into the distance with empty eyes as he held Zoro's headband in a grip so strong the veins in his arm bulged out from the strain.

VVOOOVV


	12. Chapter 12

Loyalties  
By AstroKender  
Warnings:The angst continues. Oh, and one quite naughty word gets uttered. (though the rules of PG-13 state I can use it once. Just once.) Notes: Well, this story is coming ever closer to the ending. While I have loved writing this fic, I think I'm ready for it to end (Try being a shonen ai freak and writing a multi part story with no boy love!) Look for a side fic to come out soon, which will indeed include some straight up hints of pirate luvin.  
Feedback: there is an annoying button at the bottom of the screen just begging to be punched.  
Disclaimers: One Piece belongs to Eichiro Oda, 4kids and various other affiliates. I don't own em, I don't make money off em, I just play with them. 

Chapter 12

Zoro silently cursed himself for the umpteenth time. He cursed himself for his own stubbornness, and moreover, for causing his captain pain. And, most of all, he cursed himself for his absolutely shitty sense of direction. The rain pounded down onto his shirtless form with a stinging fury as the Zoro scoured the overgrown land with frustrated helplessness.

"Where the hell am I?"

Though, in all defense, it couldn't be said that Zoro's being lost was entirely his fault this time. The swordsman's head swam with bouts of dizziness and alternately, pounded with a migraine fit to fell even the strongest of men. His gait was wobbly due to muscles weakened by the poison or blood loss; it was hard to tell which. But none of those were really the problem.

The problem was he was practically blind.

Something about how the poison effected him had rendered his night vision to absolutely nil. Pinpoint pupils, he thought he had heard Chopper say, whatever that meant. All Zoro knew, is without a firm light source, all he was doing was stumbling around in the dark, struggling to discern the darker shapes of trees and bushes among the dark backdrop of the night. All this was made doubly as difficult due to the sheets of rain that dropped like molten lead from the sky.

At least, in the clearing with Luffy, there had been the faint glow of moonlight to illuminate both his surroundings and the look of anguish in the dark-haired boy's eyes. No, those eyes had shone like beacons in the dark. And what did Zoro do? He walked away from them.

Spiting a mouthful of bile to the ground, the swordsman cursed himself yet again.

The small glow in the distance was so faint Zoro almost missed it. And, indeed, he performed a quick double take just to make sure it wasn't his own fevered imagination. The light was real all right, and only grew brighter as Zoro drifted closer. The pirate's stalking steps were as silent as a panther's, even in his unsteady condition.

A single man stood awkwardly under the shelter of an overgrown plant with even more oversized leaves. The man was big around both the shoulders and the gut, creating contrasting impressions of strength as well as sloth. He carried only a single pistol, which was holstered as the man desperately worked to keep his torch from extinguishing. For all his fumbling, the torch-bearer looked nothing like a common villager and Zoro would have bet his own weight in ale that the man was one of Uragi's henchmen.

Zoro crept closer, grinning to himself like a feral cat. Stepping over to the other man's back, Zoro raised Yubashiri's blade to rest right under the henchman's nose. The pirate's voice floated past his lips in a rumbling purr.

"Going my way?"

VVOOOVV

"Usopp!" Nami reached the sharpshooter's side at the same moment as Chopper.

"I-" Usopp was gritting his teeth as he rocked back and forth, clutching his left thigh. "I'm fine…." The words came out as a hiss.

"Oh, Usopp! You're shot!" Chopper shouted, his eyes wide. He cast his eyes desperately around the deck as he grabbed a hold of the dark-haired boy's head in a cradling grip. "Quick, we've got to get you to a doctor!"

Silence loomed as Nami hung her head in defeat.

"Chopper." Usopp managed a sickly grin despite the pain that seemed to rip through his whole body. "You are a doctor."

The reindeer quickly smacked himself in the head. "Right, of course. Doctor. Me." The two shared a weak laugh before Chopper's furry face turned serious. "Hold still while I take a look at your wound."

Usopp snorted and then gasped at the pain it invoked. "Chopper, I couldn't move if I wanted to."

"The gunfire has stopped." Vivi's soft voice filtered into their ears. "Mr. Bushido must have made it to the island successfully." The blue-haired princess knelt down by the others. "Are you all right, Usopp?"

"What about you, Vivi?" Nami asked worriedly. "I saw you fall. Are you okay?" the redhead watched as Vivi's arm came up to clutch a small patch of pink on her otherwise pristine nightgown. "You've been shot!" Nami exclaimed, unconsciously echoing Chopper's earlier words.

"It just grazed me." Vivi smiled. "Right above the scratch I got from the Drum Kingdom. I'll have quite an interesting set of scars to have to explain to my father." Nami felt herself relax slightly as the princess's light laughter washed over her.

Nami felt a splash on her neck and realized something else was washing over her as well. "It's raining." She commented aloud, just now feeling the chill from her dampening pajamas. Standing, the redhead looked across the waters of the bay as it vibrated with the repeated drumming of rain against its dark surface. She peered across the water to the island's beach, searching vainly for a figure moving about in the darkness. "I don't see Zoro anywhere. Why isn't he coming back?"

"We need to get Usopp and Carue inside." Chopper interrupted his voice low. He turned his attention to Usopp, who was trying unsuccessfully to sit up. "It's too dark to see properly, but I think the bullet is still in your leg." He told the sharpshooter.

Usopp immediately fell back onto the deck. "I'm dying, right? My warm blood spilling out of my body…." He sighed heavily. "Just let my kids know that I loved them dearly…" he whispered.

A rock hard hoof planted itself firmly into the sharpshooter's face. "Don't say stuff like that, asshole!" Chopper frowned sternly, though his eyes wobbled with sadness. "It's nothing to joke about right now."

Usopp rubbed his now tender nose and sniffed out an apology. Chopper had transformed into his human form and picked the dark-haired boy up with ease. From this position Usopp could clearly see the reindeer's tear-streaked face in the flickering lantern's light.

"Don't worry," Usopp smiled, suddenly feeling lightheaded as he tried vainly to keep his eyes open. "Luffy and Sanji are still out there. They'll bring him back." Unable to fight it, the long-nose boy let the darkness claim him.

Chopper looked down at Usopp's unconscious form sadly. "Another lie, Usopp?" he whispered as he passed through the entryway leading below deck.

A large boom and a sudden heaving of the Going Merry caused Chopper to stumble and miss a step as he plummeted down the small flight of stairs. Panicking, the reindeer swiftly twisted his body so he wouldn't land atop Usopp and the sharpshooter's fall was instead cushioned by the reindeer's large mass of fur.

The breath knocked from his lungs, it took several moments for the doctor to regain his senses. Just as he was about to rise to his feet a second thundering boom sounded followed swiftly by the sound of splintering wood.

"What's going on?" Chopper shouted as he pulled Usopp close to his chest for the sharpshooter's protection.

"Cannons!" Nami shouted down. "The bastards brought cannons!"

The navigator ran swiftly to the ship's starboard as she grabbed the winch that connected to the Going Merry's anchor. Normally someone like Zoro would just lift it barehanded out of the water but Nami's small strength could only even barely turn the well-oiled crank.

"What are we going to do?" Vivi asked as she to placed her hands on the handle, lending her own strength to help pull the anchor up one painstaking centimeter at a time.

"We have to get out of here, that's for sure. I don't know what happened to Zoro but we're on our own now and there is no way we can defend the ship from cannons."

Grunting. The anchor raised another fraction.

"But what about Luffy and the others? We just can leave them."

Nami snarled as she turned the crank, realizing that she had been forced to do way too much hard labor recently. Really, what were men good for, anyway? "We're not going to leave them." She quickly assured. "We'll just pull out of reach of the cannons—"

As if on cue another cannonball hurtled through the sky, just barely missing the mast.

"—And wait. Maybe pull around to the west side of the island and find a place to dock there—"

Another projectile crashed into the ocean so close to their ship that the spray from its impact could be felt showering over them even through the rain.

Nami's hands slipped off the crank and the chain fell a meter before two feathered limbs reached out and stopped the handle's rotation. Vivi looked up from her death grip on the wooden crank.

"Carue!"

"Quack, quack." The duck grabbed the handle with his spotted bill and slowly, laboriously rotated the crank so that the anchor began once more to rise.

Vivi stepped back and nodded. "You're right Carue. We all need to help." The princess grabbed onto Nami and gave the redhead a small push towards the ship's helm. "Go on! I'll take care of the sails. I've seen it done enough to know what to do."

"Vivi…"

"Go on!" the blue-haired girl pressed. "Like you said, we need to get out of range before they sink the ship."

As if the gods were listening in with sadistic glee, a still-smoking cannonball plowed into the side of the ship, causing it to list to the side. Both Nami and Vivi were thrown to the deck and Carue lost his grip on the anchor's winch and the large iron weight slammed back under the waves.

"Are you guys all right?" Chopper's voice filtered up from below.

"We're fine!" Nami winced as she rose to her feet, her elbows badly skinned. "How about you two?"

Chopper cautiously poked his head out the doorway. "Usopp's still passed out and I'm okay. But I think we're taking on water."

"Crap!" Nami didn't even have the energy to curse properly. With their fighters missing and their ship's carpenter out of commission, that left a potentially sinking ship to two women and a reindeer that would be as animated as a fifty kilo hammer if he so much as touched the water.

"Quack!"

Yes. And a duck.

"Quack! Quack!" Carue was flapping his wings excitedly. "Quack!" One feathered limb shot out towards the beach.

Turning, Nami could see shadows darting about wildly in the rain soaked sand, inexplicably flying through the air. If the navigator closed her eyes and concentrated, she could just barely make out a familiar battle cry. Smiling, the redhead dropped to the deck with a wet plop.

"Luffy…." Vivi whispered in awe as she stood at the rails and stared into the darkness.

"It's about damn time." Nami muttered.

VVOOOVVV

"Gomu Gomu no Gatling Gun!" Two arms shot out with such speed that it seemed as there were twenty fists flying instead.

Sanji watched as Luffy went on a one-man rampage. The rubber-boy quickly had decimated the line of cannons that dared to fire upon the Going Merry and was now making short work of the men that had the gall to actually use them. Bodies flew into the air like playing cards and all the while his captain's face bore such a void of expression that the blonde, unable to watch any longer, merely closed his eyes and looked away.

"Zoro'll do what he wants. You can't stop him." Luffy had said when Sanji demanded an explanation after the swordsman's departure.

"But that cabbage head's gonna—"

"It's his choice!" Luffy's harsh words quickly silenced Sanji's protests. "Zoro lives by his own code! Who are we to interfere with it?"

Hearing the sounds of battle die down, Sanji's eyes opened as he unconsciously searched for his captain. Seeing the dark-haired boy's slumped shoulders for some reason made the cook's hands clench into tight fists. Staring at that unresponsive back, Sanji began to shake. It was all he could do not to march over the ring of unconscious bodies and kick some sense into Luffy's head. As it was, Sanji could only bite his lip as he stared through locks of hair plastered to his forehead, clenching his fists until sharp nails drew blood.

'Why?' He screamed at Luffy mentally. 'Why is honor more important than saving a friend?'

Something, probably a stray drop of rain, trickled down Sanji's cheek.

'Tell me, Zoro…What good is honor if you're fucking dead?'

Whether intentional or not, Luffy's walk towards Sanji was a slow one, giving the blonde time to collect himself. Pushing his bangs out of his eyes, the cook gave an audible huff and he propped on hand on his hip.

"Took you long enough." Sanji coughed before turning discretely away from his captain's uncanny gaze. "Can we go already? We've been out in the rain so long I've began to prune. If I catch a cold don't think I'd take the time to feed your sorry ass."

One eye peeked over his shoulder to see Luffy give him a tired, but genuine smile.

"Right." The dark-haired boy chirped.

Sanji's eyes widened as one elastic arm wrapped around his waste like a wet rubber band. Sanji opened his mouth to protest and nearly choked on his tongue as he was suddenly propelled through the air. Over the wind whipping and whistling past his ears, Sanji could vaguely hear Luffy call out a warning to whoever lay up ahead. The rain stung his face and eyes, preventing the blonde from seeing their destination, but instinct made him brace for a rough landing nonetheless.

The cook was surprised when an impact in which he imagined a face full of splinters never came, but instead he felt himself fall into something as soft and encompassing as a plush feather bed.

"Qua-aaack…" his cushion said.

Muttering apologies, Sanji quickly untangled himself from Carue's battered form. The blonde straightened, only to feel a powerful punch to the back of his head. Turning with a bit of a wobble, Sanji gazed questioningly down at their navigator, his hand massaging a growing lump on his scalp.

"Where the hell have you been?" Nami demanded. "Do you know what kind of hell I've been through tonight? And where's the damn food?" The redhead bristled like a drenched cat. "Didn't bring it, huh? Oh, great, I suppose we're just going to have to starve until we reach the next island—which is at least ten days away! I swear, you idiots-"

Sanji glanced up from Nami's ranting form to meet Luffy's gaze in question. The captain, who sported a matching lump on his own head, shot the blonde a piercing look before pasting on a bland smile that made Sanji's heart sink.

"—Usopp's been shot and Zoro's run off and I've had to deal with cannons and—"

Vivi's soft voice somehow interrupted the navigator's continuing tirade. "Mr. Sanji, did you two happen to see Mr. Bushido while you were out there?"

Nami shook herself to her senses and turned to their Captain, her expression serious. "That's right, we've got to hurry up and grab Zoro so we can get away from this crazy island. We've already taken some damage to the hull, we can't risk waiting around for those villagers to attack again."

Luffy gaze moved from Nami to Vivi to Sanji and back again. "You're right." He told the navigator. "Let's get out of here."

Walking over to the large iron chain that ran down into the sea, Luffy grabbed it with a firm grip and gave a solid yank. The hefty anchor flew up out of the water to land with a deafening clatter on the Going Merry's deck.

Nami blinked, thinking she must have heard wrong. "You want to go now?"

Luffy nodded wordlessly as he carefully maneuvered the boom so the sails could be lowered.

"But—" Vivi began.

"What about Zoro?" Nami demanded, her wide eyes incredulous and glimmering with something akin to fear.

"Oh, him." Luffy turned around, scratching the back of his head absently. "He decided he didn't want to sail with us any more."

A stunned silence barreled onto the deck of the Going Merry. Even the wind and rain seemed to lessen briefly as the others tried futilely to take in the captain's blithe statement. Just when the tense atmosphere seemed about to suffocate the ship's inhabitants, a giant booming slam reverberated through the stillness.

Sanji stomped angrily though the entry to the kitchen, kicking the thick wooden door, which was now slightly bent at the hinges, firmly shut behind him.

VVOOOVV

It seemed as though he had been walking for hours, dodging the mire as his eyes strained to keep site of the small trail running along in front of him. As it was, Zoro kept a sharp eye out and made sure to step only where his unwilling guide stepped. Around them Zoro could hear the rumbling sound of reptilian predators lurking in the brush.

The thick undergrowth had finally parted open to reveal a seemingly endless expanse of marsh, broken only by the dark silhouette of some sort of lumbering structure. By this point the harsh rain that had been pelting down was reduced to a fine drizzle, and Zoro could easily see, even with his night-blind eyes, the distant glow of life emitting from the few irregularly placed windows.

"M-mr. Urag-gi is in th-there." Zoro's guide pointed, nearly close to wetting himself with fear. Zoro knew how to be persuasive, to say the least.

"How do we cross?" the swordsman rasped, his voice gone hoarse from prolonged exposure to the elements and his ever worsening racking cough.

"The b-b-boats!" the man gasped.

Zoro noticed a handful of small flat boats, resembling miniature barges, tied to wooden poles driven deep into the swamp's depths. Zoro snorted to himself, wondering if the villagers knew their hero had access to such commodities. They were probably scavenged from the wrecks of other ships, Zoro decided. Which fully enforced his belief that Uragi was nothing more than a vulture, robbing the dead of their earthly belongings.

With a grunt, Zoro nudged his captive forward. "I'm afraid I wouldn't be very good at rowing like this." He pointed his sword-clad hands out as he showed his deadly pair of oversized accessories. "I'm afraid I'll need your for a bit longer."

The burly man nodded nervously.

Only a few minutes passed before they were silently gliding across the water. The swordsman's expression darkened as their little boat finally made dock at the makeshift pier of the warehouse.  
As he thought, the structure was built on stilts to rest over the water, making it easily defensible against any large-scale attack.

But one lone swordsman would be easily overlooked.

"Thanks for the ride." A quick smack of the hilt of one katana and Zoro's unwilling assistant was knocked cold. Zoro hopped up onto the deck, after making sure the man didn't accidentally slip into the dark waters below.

Looking around, the green-haired man could see that the only entrance was a large set of double doors at the front of the warehouse. The sparsely set windows were all too high to gain entrance in Zoro's present condition. Not one to deliberate, Zoro lowered one shoulder—the one that hadn't been dislocated a mere hour or so before—and plowed the flimsy barricade down.

"Well, well, if this isn't quite a surprise…" An amused tenor intoned as Zoro was still trying to shake the splinters of wood from his body.

Growling, Zoro looked up with hate filled eyes. "Uragi."

Propped up like a king on his throne and baring a half-full bottle of wine, the bounty hunter gave the green-haired man a mocking salute. "Welcome to my sanctuary!" he gestured broadly to the crates upon crates stacked around them. "I apologize for not offering you a seat, but as you can see, I'm in the only one."

Zoro's hands began to shake in a way that had nothing to do with the poison coursing through his veins.

"In all honesty, I believed you to be already dead. You're even stronger than I thought, Roronoa. Very impressive." Snake-like eyes peered at him in a half-lidded gaze as the longhaired man shrugged lightly under his oversized coat "It's a shame we couldn't have came to some sort of agreement."

"Uragi…." Zoro repeated as he took one step, and then another, closer to his target.

"Let me guess," Uragi sighed melodramatically. "'Give me the antidote', right? Really, I've heard that so much tonight that I'm getting quite tired of it."

Zoro's approach didn't falter as the pirate raised his swords into a crossed formation.

"I don't care about the damn antidote. I want my sword."

VVVOOOVVV


	13. Chapter 13

Loyalties  
By AstroKender  
Warnings:Angst and a minute bit of blood.  
Notes: Oiy, this chapter was a bit difficult. It was hard pushing everyone's buttons to keep their emotions running high and still leave them in character. I hope I did okay. The rollercoaster only has a few more dips before this joyride is over. :)  
Feedback: there is an annoying button at the bottom of the screen just begging to be punched.  
Disclaimers: One Piece belongs to Eichiro Oda, 4kids and various other affiliates. I don't own em, I don't make money off em, I just play with them. 

Chapter 13

Usopp awoke to the feel of a cool, damp cloth dabbing at his forehead and a faint sniffling sound. Shifting, the sharpshooter felt a surge of pain course up his leg like fire, one that was only slightly dampened by the thick, cottony feel of his head. Shadows danced across his eyelids as whoever was caring for him shifted about.

"Nnhhh..." Usopp weakly forced open his eyes, feeling as though his lids were encrusted with brine.

The long-nosed boy's bleary gaze struggled to focus on the small form standing beside him. Reaching a trembling hand out, the sharpshooter patted the figure vaguely like a blind man. The thick fur that met his fingertips eliminated many possibilities in his mind as to his present caretaker. Usopp let his hand drop with a sigh.

"How are you feeling?" Chopper's words were soft, here and there punctuated by a small sniff.

"I think I've been shot." Usopp declared as he shifted again.

A blue nose invaded Usopp's vision as the doctor more closely examined him. Little hooves tickled his neck and tapped a tattoo on his head. A bright light suddenly blared into Usopp's eyes, making him flinch. Chopper hastily apologized and removed the source of the dark-haired boy's discomfort.

"There are no broken bones from your fall and you don't seem to have a concussion." Chopper told him as he stepped away to work with something across the room. The rattle of utensils being dumped into water tinkled in Usopp's ear. "You had a bullet stuck into the bone of your left leg. It took quite a while to pry out but fortunately, it didn't nick any major blood vessels. You should be fine and walking again within a few weeks."

"How are the others?" Usopp felt the fog in his head lift the more he talked and his vision slowly cleared as the sharpshooter struggled to focus on the small furry shoulders a meter away. "Have Luffy and Sanji made it back to the ship yet? Did they find Zoro?"

A loud crash invaded Usopp's ears as Chopper dropped whatever it was he was trying to put away. The reindeer excused himself as he knelt down to clean up the mess. As he worked, Chopper rattled off a short report on the crew.

"A bullet grazed Vivi's arm but she's fine. Carue has a very nasty bump on his head and needed a few stitches. Nami is fine. Sanji and Luffy made it back to the ship. Luffy has a few burns on his back and what looks like a gunshot wound to his arm, but he's sitting on the ram's head...just like always..." Chopper's voice tapered off for a moment before he continued. "Sanji has locked himself in the kitchen so I'm not sure how his condition is but judging from all the slams and breaking sounds, I think he's all right."

The small smile Usopp had been wearing slipped as the reindeer's update cut off one crewmember short. Ignoring the dull roaring pain, the sharpshooter quickly pushed himself into a sitting position. Chopper turned to look at him with fearful eyes, his fuzzy lips trembling.

"Chopper." Usopp's expression was serious. "Where's Zoro?"

The reindeer looked away. "H-he's still on the island."

"What?" the dark-haired boy exploded. "What about the poison?"

"I-I wasn't able to find a cure."

Usopp swung his legs over the table he sat upon. The same table that they had used when operating on Zoro mere hours before. "How long before sunrise? It's still dark, right?" the sharpshooter pointed out a darkened porthole. "That means we still have some time."

Usopp attempted to push himself to his feet but was stopped by two large hands on his shoulders. Chopper's human form loomed over him as to sad black eyes stared into his own.

"It is too late, Usopp." Tears began pouring down the doctor's face in miniature rivers. "We've already set sail."

"What?" Usopp stared at the reindeer, stunned. "Why?"

"Captain's orders."

"Is he insane? Where the hell is he?" Usopp struggled against the grip holding him back, his expression furious. "This is bullshit!"

Usopp felt a faint prick on his arm before his eyes suddenly began to feel impossibly heavy. Slumping against Chopper, he vaguely felt the doctor lay him back upon the table. A tear-streaked face swam before Usopp's gaze before a small pop was heard as the reindeer shrunk back to normal size.

"Chop...per..." Usopp's face screwed up into a questioning look.

"I'm sorry. I really botched up this time. I'm so sorry."

And with a small, keening whine, the reindeer fled the room.

Usopp cursed as darkness crept along the edges of his vision. Hot tears spilled over his cheeks as the sharpshooter's eyes closed in a gut-wrenching anguish that made his bullet wound seem like a paper cut.

"Damn it..." Usopp cursed again as he felt sleep pull him unwillingly under. "We tried so hard..."

VVOOOVV

"Your sword?" Unable to help himself, Uragi released a small chuckle filled with honest amusement. "Your dialogue is priceless, Roronoa, really. At this juncture, most men would fall to their knees begging me to take mercy on them. And here you are demanding, demanding I say, for me to return a single meager bit of steel. You really are quite something."

"I'm glad I amuse you. Now give me back Wadou and I'll take mercy on you by not leaving you alive when I've finished with you." A small twitch of the pirate's face revealed the anger underlining those blithe words.

Zoro's advance never slowed as the swordsman continued his deliberate pace with eyes fastened on the white hilt of the katana strapped to the bounty hunter's waist. Zoro's breaths came in sharp gasps that contrasted the calm and impartial expression that had settled onto his face. A true swordsman never showed his emotions during battle. Anything less than fighting with his normal cold ruthlessness could result in the enemy reading his moves.

A split second was all the time it took to switch from a measured tread to a lightning dash that brought his blades against Uragi's neck, along the faint blue veins that pulsed with life-giving blood. The distance was closed in an instant and Zoro couldn't help the sadistic grin that crept over his face.

That was, until the cold barrel of a pistol stabbed harshly into the back of his neck.

Growling, Zoro recklessly continued his attack, drawing his swords across each other in a slash intended to sever Uragi's smirking head from his body. Closing his eyes, Zoro waited for the white-hot pain that would end his life.

"Well, that was certainly a close shave." Zoro's eyes shot open to stare at Uragi, who's neck, besides a slight scratch, was remarkably intact. "Your reflexes are still as fast as ever, despite my poison. If it weren't for my men making you pause for that crucial second, I do say I might have kicked the proverbial bucket, wouldn't you say?"

"I'll kill you..." Zoro hissed.

Rough hands pulled him back a few steps as Uragi finally rose to his feet and the empty wine bottle was dropped into the now vacant seat. Cold green eyes studied Zoro's panting form from head to toe, taking note of bare feet that were torn and bloody from the journey to reach him, and the dampness resting across the swordsman's breast and brow. A dampness that had nothing to do with the current weather. A sigh sounding somewhat disappointed escaped between Uragi's lips.

"And?" The taller man crossed his arms in indifference as he spoke. "What are you going to do after you've killed me? Hmmm? You no longer have some sprawling future ahead of you, fraught with possibilities."

Zoro stared back, silent and impassive. Uragi ran a white-gloved hand coarsely though his black-hair, irritated at his opponent's lack of response. The bounty hunter soon brightened, however as he snapped his fingers and murmured a small 'aha'. Whirling around, he faced the swordsman once more.

"Why don't we have a tournament? If you win, I will fight you fairly, with no tricks." he suggested grandly. "Behind you are five of my seven best men, all whom were previously thugs, thieves and murderers. I have trained each of them in the art of combat and I'd be quite eager to see how they rank when pitted up against such a deadly swordsman from the Grand Line."

Zoro felt the figures behind him shift nervously and the gun jabbing him in the neck wavered. Grinning, the swordsman nodded. "Why not, if they're anything like the one I used to get here, it won't even be a challenge."

Uragi shook his head. "Ah, but we don't want you to be bored, now." The bounty hunter slowly withdrew Zoro's katana from its pristine white sheath. Zoro stared at it as a starving man would at a king's banquet. Uragi stepped up to him, the sword held aloft.

"To be fair, you will only be allowed one weapon. A sword, no doubt, in your case." Uragi cocked his head to the side questioningly. "Well, which with it be?"

"That one." Zoro immediately replied; nodding his head at the sword Uragi bore.

"I'm afraid that's impossible." The dark-haired man clucked, his reptilian eyes glittering with amusement. "This one here is the grand prize. Try again, if you please."

Eyes narrowed, Zoro unhesitatingly raised Sandai Kitetsu as he choice for battle. While Yubashiri undoubtedly allowed greater speed, the cursed blade would better suit his motives.

Zoro wanted blood.

Uragi, as if sensing his thoughts, gave Zoro a slick smile as he swung Wadou into a low arc that slashed through the bandages that held Yubashiri in the swordsman's grip. The katana dropped to the floor with a clatter and Zoro lifted his free hand, one eyebrow raised at the line of blood raising from a new, shallow cut.

Uragi lifted Wadou to his face, letting his tongue dart out to taste the small smear of crimson resting along the blade's edge. Closing his eyes, he murmured appreciatively.

"My poison runs strong through your blood. Still hot. Still alive. Can you feel it?"

Zoro sneered and shrugged the pistol from his neck. Gripping his katana in two both hands, the swordsman pivoted on his heels to face Uragi's men. "Let's just get this over with."

A small murmur ran along the men until, by unanimous decision, the largest of the group stepped forward. Covered with raised scars along his chest and arms, this man looked like nothing less than a shorn bear. A dark patch covered the socket of one eye, where the appendage not longer resided. The man flashed a smile filled with gold teeth as he crouched into a wrestler's stance.

Zoro smirked.

"Uragi." He called back over his shoulder flippantly. "When you're dead, there is one thing I'm going to do."

"Oh?"

"I'm gonna watch the sun rise." Zoro stated. Holding his cursed blade aloft, the pirate charged forward.

VVOOOVV

It was less than two hours until dawn, and no one on the Going Merry could sleep.

Nami shoved her map aside and rubbed her eyes in exhaustion. There was no real reason to keep pouring over it anyway. They were right on course for the next island. But the redhead hadn't left her cabin.

She didn't want to face anybody.

She didn't want to watch as Chopper cried in the corner, hidden behind Zoro's enormous weights. She didn't want to see Usopp tear-streaked face, lined with pain that was both physical and mental. She didn't want to see Sanji, who, in a fit of desperation, had crushed up their supply of cloves and rolled them with stray bits of parchment and was now inhaling smoke like a blast furnace.

And above all, she didn't want to see Luffy, siting on the ram's head like nothing was wrong. In fact, she didn't want to see Luffy, period.

She had seen him, when he thought he wasn't being watched. She had seen as he stared at a small piece of black fabric, his head hung low with grief. And watching that had made the navigator even angrier than if their captain had simply been his normal boisterous self.

A faint knock on her door interupted Nami's melancholy line of thought. The redhead gave a wordless reply and Vivi cautiously poked her head into the room.

"Nami, Mr. Sanji has made us a meal, since everyone is still awake. He said that our supplies are fairly low, so we should eat while we can."

Nami only vaguely made note of Vivi's words, too occupied with staring at the princess's dark blue eyes, which were currently rimmed with red. So Vivi had been crying too. Nami closed here eyes tiredly. She wished she could cry. But it all still seemed so surreal. Like she could walk up those steps and nearly trip over Zoro's slumbering form.

"Nami?"

The navigator swiped her arm quickly across her eyes as she stood. "I'm right behind you." She muttered thickly.

VVOOOVV

Carue lay under the table despondently, his beak lying parallel with the wooden floor beneath his chin. A dark cloud seemed to hang over the ship's kitchen, threatening to burst into a violent storm at any moment. The spot-billed duck only barely resisted the urge to cover his head with his wings in protection.

Usopp, at his own insistence, was propped up in a chair near the corner, his injured leg resting on a wobbly wooden stool. Beside him, the reindeer, Chopper, hovered about anxiously as he clucked over the sharpshooter's injuries. Usopp, for his part, was silent, and did nothing but direct a morose glare towards the ship's captain.

Luffy didn't acknowledge the look. Indeed, the rubber-boy acted as if he was alone in the room as he idly spun his butter knife in circles on the scarred kitchen table. A second knife followed, and then a third, spinning around each other in a bizarre dance of cutlery. A deep frown crossed Luffy's face as he watched the knives twirl and the dark-haired boy slammed his hand down abruptly, stopping their rotation. Carue winced at the sudden noise, and huddled deeper under the table.

An echoing crash made the spot-billed duck glance apprehensively over his shoulder, towards the main part of the kitchen. The blonde cook tossed another empty pot towards the sink, and didn't seem to notice as it missed and went crashing to the floor. His expression dark, Sanji approached the crew's table, carrying a stack of plates laden with food.

Luffy didn't so much as blink when one of the plates was slammed in front of him, nearly crushing his hand. Like an automation, the captain raised his fork and began eating with a methodical grace that was so uncharacteristic it was disturbing.

Not that the others seemed to care, Carue noted.

"This meat is burnt." Luffy muttered.

Sanji looked over his shoulder from where he was trying to coax Usopp to eat. The absolute fury in the cook's expression made Carue dart swiftly out from beneath the table and out the door as he quacked frantically for Vivi.

Chopper let out a small shriek as Sanji's foot plowed down onto the table, snapping the sturdy wooden surface clean in two. The blonde glared at Luffy, his shoulder shaking with the force of his ragged breathing.

"Then..." the cook growled. "Don't eat it!"

Luffy sat, unflinchingly, his fork still held aloft.  
"What the hell is going on in here?" Nami shouted from the doorway.

Sanji's head shot up in shock and he quickly cast his gaze down towards the ruined pile of food, a pained expression crossing his face. As if sensing his thoughts, Vivi hastily pushed her way into the kitchen and knelt by the pile of splintered wood and broken dishes.

"I'm sure most of the food can be salvaged, Mr. Sanji."

The blonde shook his head and squatted down. "I'll take care of this, Princess. No need to dirty your hands for something that was entirely my fault." He said as he began sorting though the mess with expert ease. After all, more than one table had been broken in anger on the restaurant ship, Beratie.

Vivi cast he gaze back to Luffy's silent form. "I wouldn't say it was entirely..." the blue-haired girl trailed off.

"What the hell is your problem?" Nami was screaming, as she loomed over the captain.

"What do you mean?" The rubber-boy gave Nami a guileless smile that set the redhead's teeth on edge.

"You know damn well what I mean." Nami snarled. "Does the name Zoro ring any bells?"

Something dark flashed across Luffy's eyes, before vanishing as if it was never there. "Of course, silly. He was a pirate hunter. He sailed with us for awhile."

Nami's pupil's shrunk to mere pinpricks as she lifted her hand up in fury. But someone beat her to it.

Vivi's palm smacked against the rubber-boy's cheek in a vicious strike. "Coward!" the princess sputtered.

After that, it was like a damn had broke. Usopp shot to his feet angrily, only Chopper's support keeping him from falling over.

"How could you just give up?" The sharpshooter demanded.

Nami watched as Luffy's eye twitched and smiled to herself before adopting a haughty expression. Sometimes their stubborn captain needed to be pushed.

"I guess Zoro really didn't mean anything to you, after all, if you can just toss him aside like this." The redhead made a show of not looking in Luffy's direction; instead she cleaned an imaginary speck of dirt from under her nails. "Where does that rank us if you treat your first mate like this? Or was he nothing more than hired muscle?"

"What the hell do you any of you know?" Luffy snarled as he jumped out of his chair, his fists raised as if ready for a fight.

Nami nearly fell back a step and briefly wondered if she had gone too far. But the ache in her chest told her that something had to be done if the crew was going to be whole again. Mercilessly, she pounded her point home.

"I know that you're hurting right now more than any of us!" She screamed back as she jabbed her finger into Luffy's chest. "And you're not doing a damn thing about it! Are you really going to just let Zoro slip away like this? From you? From us? I thought we were a team?"

"We're all friends, right, Luffy?" Usopp whispered, desperately.

"Family." Chopper added in a small voice.

Sucking in a deep breath, the rubber-boy sank back into his chair. Luffy's hands clenched over his knees so tightly he could feel his bones creaking. He quickly bowed his head as hot tears spilled down his face. Luffy bit his lip, trying to hold them in. How weak was he, crying twice in one night? Shrouded in misery, the dark-haired boy tried to speak, but all that came out was a shuddering sob.

"I don't know what to do..." He whispered. "For the first time in my life, I don't know how to make things right..."

Sanji quickly pushed his way past the others and grabbed Luffy by the shirtfront. Eyes blazing, the blonde stuck his face mere millimeters away from his captain's. "You wanna know what to do?" the cook asked, as he blew a ring of smoke into Luffy's tear-streaked face.

Luffy nodded, his expression filled with misery. After a moment of leveling his harsh glare upon the other, the Sanji's lips spread into a thin smile as he shoved the rubber-boy away.

"Go after him, idiot!" Sanji exclaimed as he flicked his makeshift cigarette away.

Behind him, the others broke out into slowly widening smiles.

"You heard him, Luffy." Nami gave the captain a playful swat across his head. "What do you say?"

"Don't give up hope, Mr. Luffy." Vivi chimed in. "Everything will work out somehow." Beside her, Carue nodded frantically.

"I'll find a way to cure him, Luffy! I promise!" Chopper broke free of the crowd to run up to Luffy. Clutching the rubber-boy's leg, the reindeer sobbed out his plea. "Please, let's go back!"

Usopp, who had fallen back into his chair in exhaustion, gave Luffy a weary thumb's up. "Let's go back, Luffy."

"Guys..." Luffy stared back at his friends, overcome.

A firm expression settled over the captain's face as the boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a tattered piece of black cloth. The others watched silently as Luffy solemnly tied on Zoro's headband before covering it with his customary straw hat. When he again looked up, his shadowed eyes gleamed with a newly found determination.

"Do it!" Luffy commanded.

Grinning from ear to ear, Nami whirled around and began barking orders to the others. "Chopper, turn us hard to port! Sanji, put us at full sail! We're heading back!"

As the others scurried about their tasks, Luffy stood atop the ram's head, one hand on his head to keep his hat from flying away as the wind whipped around him. Staring across the ocean, Luffy's face split with a fierce grin.

"We're coming, Zoro..."

VVOOOVV


	14. Chapter 14

Loyalties  
By AstroKender  
Warnings:Swearing, Blood, violence, and torture. (hey, I had to squeese a bit more in before the good guys win )  
Notes: Well, my week break is coming to an end, so I can't promis how speedily the remaining chapters will come out, but we're in the final lap here, so I throw it out as soon as I can. Please forgive any grammatical and/or spelling errors. I'm currently in the process of polishing the whole story up for a grand reposting.  
Feedback: there is an annoying button at the bottom of the screen just begging to be punched.  
Disclaimers: One Piece belongs to Eichiro Oda, 4kids and various other affiliates. I don't own em, I don't make money off em, I just play with them. 

Chapter 14

Zoro fought desperately to catch his breath as his fourth opponent slowly circled him like a predator cornering his prey. Zoro kept track of the man's movements through his one good eye; the other having been swollen shut from a devastating punch that had occurred during the first fight. The swordsman's ears were still ringing from that one.

But the statistics seemed to rest in Zoro's favor. Three men lay dead, and Zoro wasn't one of them. That had to count for something.

"You're slowing down, Roronoa!' Uragi called out from his makeshift throne. "You have been doing well up to this point. Don't disappoint me now."

Zoro sneered as he spit a mouthful of blood onto the warehouse floor. This was exactly what Uragi has planned. Oh, Zoro had no doubts he could finish off the last two of the bounty hunter's henchmen, but he was wearing out quickly. At this point, if Uragi had any passable fighting skills, Zoro wouldn't have the energy left to defend himself.

A familiar clicking noise drew the swordsman's attention to the fight at hand. His opponent had just pulled a pistol from his jacket and already cocked the hammer back. Grinning, the thug gave the pirate a mocking wink before pulling the trigger.

Sandai Kitetsu seemed to move on its own as the katana swung up and into the bullet's path. The projectile ricocheted off the cursed blade and imbedded itself into the floorboards a hairsbreadth from Uragi's feet. Seeing dark-haired man flinch made Zoro grin as he dashed forward to finish off his foolhardy opponent.

"Too bad your gun can only fire one shot." Zoro smirked as he raised his sword for the final blow.

The man gave Zoro an evil smirk as he pulled a second pistol from behind his back. Eyes wide, Zoro threw himself to the ground with a muffled curse. The bullet sliced through the air in which he had just occupied, nicking the outer shell of his ear as it sped past and ruffling his earrings like wind chimes.

Zoro's sword darted out like a spear, impaling the lackey leering above him. Snarling, Zoro shoved the blade in further, until the man's dead weight dropped to the floor. The pirate pulled himself to his feet, his eyes cold.

"I'm sick of being shot." He muttered irritably as he rubbed his thumb across his bleeding ear.

"Then how would you like to be sliced up a little?" A weasely voice uttered from behind him.

Spinning around, Zoro's katana only just blocked the blur of sliver that had been aimed for one of Zoro's kidneys. The swordsman grunted slightly at the surprising strength behind the blow as he studied the small form of his opponent.

"That wasn't nice...I only got one good kidney left." Zoro managed to push his enemy back long enough to get into a better defensive position.

"That's okay..." the small man hissed between sharp teeth that didn't belong on a human being. "You won't be needing them."

The mousy looking man pulled out a small, deadly looking knife that matched the one he had already been holding. Grinning, he spun the little blades between his fingers, showing off his obvious skill.

"Let me guess," Zoro muttered, as he crouched low to try to match the other man's center of gravity. "You don't use those for cooking, right?"

The weasel-man laughed. "Funny thing, before I washed up on this stinking island, I was known as 'the butcher'."

"You don't say." Zoro smirked as he brought Sandai Kitetsu crossways under his nose. "Funny thing, off this stinking island, I'm known as a demon."

It was hard to tell who charged first but the two opponents were soon nothing but a blur of flesh and metal as they spun around each other like deadly cyclones. Every now and then a pained grunt would replace the sound of blades clashing and a stream of blood would fly out to spatter against the floor. But, at the speed the two were moving, it was impossible to tell whose strikes were connecting.

A keening whine warbled through the air as two knives and a katana flew out from the whirlwind of bodies to imbed themselves into various areas of the warehouse. The two fighter's had stopped their mad thrashing and now stood, staring at each other, as their breaths came out in sharp gasps.

Uragi's gaze landed on Zoro first, taking in the crisscross of slashes across the swordsman's chest. The green-haired man's left arm oozed a steady flow of blood and a particularly wicked looking slash swept across his cheek and into his hairline, nearly taking his eye in the process.

Uragi's man, on the other hand, looked completely unscathed. The dark-haired bounty hunter raised an eyebrow at this. Surely Roronoa would have been able to land at least one slash?

Uragi's eyes widened as, with a guttural moan, his last remaining man fell to the floor. Blood gushed out of the man's body from seemingly hundreds of nearly invisible cuts. Uragi's gaze switched to back to Zoro appreciatively as he watched the pirate sink to the floor while cradling his leg.

"You forced yourself to move so quickly your knee couldn't take the strain." The bounty hunter murmured in admiration as he rose from his seat. "Very impressive, considering it was probably the only way to win against the Butcher's speed."

"Bah." Zoro spat as he furtively massaged his knee. "I fought an octopus with nearly the same attack pattern. With both fights, it was simple to use the enemies speed against them."

"Indeed?" Uragi inclined his head in acknowledgment as he bent over to retrieve Zoro's sword. Gliding over to the pirate, he stabbed the cursed blade into the floor at Zoro's feet.

"Are you still up for a little duel?"

Zoro stared blanking at the ground, trying vainly to get at least one of his eyes to focus. Burning pain shot up his leg whenever he shifted, and he couldn't stop the involuntarily twitches and spasms that had overtaken his muscles. Swallowing harshly, the swordsman fought the urge to puke all over Uragi's over-polished boots.

Grunting, the green-haired pirate stood with the sheer force of his own will. Zoro's tongue darted out to moisten his cracked lips as he held his sword aloft with sweat-slicked and nerveless hands.

"I'm all for it." The swordsman grinned.

"Excellent!" Uragi exclaimed as he drew Wadou from its pristine white sheath. Baring Zoro's own sword, the man pointed the tip expertly at his opponent, his free hand resting comfortably behind his back.

"Tell me, Roronoa. Have you ever heard of 'fencing'?"

VVOOOVV

"I can still help!" Usopp insisted, as he struggled to raise himself from his reclined position.

The lamplight made the kitchen flicker with bizarre shadows that danced across the wall. It also served to deepen the shadows cast upon the crew's faces, intensifying every emotion that crossed their dark planes. Right at this moment, however, the only emotion visible was irritation.

"No you don't!" Nami scolded as she turned her head to glare at the other. "You've been shot you idiot and you can't even walk. Plus, a wound like that would just be begging for that Uragi guy to poison you too."

"But-"

"Don't argue with Miss Nami!" Sanji commanded from behind as he tapped the sharpshooter roughly on the back of his head. Usopp shot the man an irritated glare.

"This is none of your business, Love Cook." Usopp scowled. "I don't see why I have to stay on the ship when all of you-"

"I'm staying too." Nami sighed as she adjusted her hands on the helm. "And Chopper and Vivi as well."

Usopp jerked up in shock, and his leg fell off the stool and smacked into the floor, eliciting a pained cry from the sharpshooter. After a couple of moments of writhing in pain, the dark-haired boy finally found his voice.

"That means-"

"Only Luffy and I will disembark on the island." Sanji stated as he puffed on a clove cigarette with seemingly little concern. "Chopper is the only one that will be able to cure Zoro when we bring the cabbage-head back, so we can't afford for him to get injured. You've already got yourself all busted up and..." He gazed pointedly in Nami's direction. "That island in no place for a lady."

Nami sighed again and muttered in reluctant agreement. Brushing her hair back, the redhead tilted the miniature ram's head slightly to the left, effortlessly adjusting their course. After a moment she continued her previous speech, which had been a detailed layout of their self imposed mission. Disappointed, Usopp shoulders slumped and he listened to Nami's plan with only half an ear.

"We'll sneak up to the northwest side of the island and drop anchor there." The redhead was saying. "Luffy and Sanji will jump off, beat up that scum-filled bounty hunter and bring that bone-headed swordsman back to the ship. "

"Wait. You gotta drop me off at the south end of the island." Luffy called through the porthole facing the main deck. Two large eyes peered through the opening as the rubber-boy made his request.

"What? But that's the totally opposite direction of where we need to go." Sanji protested, nearly dropping his cigarette.

"Just do it." Luffy whined, his brows lowered stubbornly.

"But why?" Nami asked, exasperated.

"I need to grab something." Luffy flashed them all a quick grin before his head vanished from view.

VVOOOVV

"Remember Luffy," Chopper's voice was firm as the two stood at the fore of the ship, watching the island of Black feather slowly appear from the darkness. "One drop. Just bring back one drop of that poison and I can save him."

"That's not good enough." A voice called out from behind them.

Sanji walked up to stand next to them, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. The blonde seemed to have mellowed out considerably since the big blow up in the kitchen earlier. But some invisible line of tension seemed to still be lingering, causing the ligaments to stand taut against the cook's pale neck.

"The way Uragi talked, there was something about his poison that didn't work like the regular sort." Sanji spoke calmly as he leaned onto the ship's rail. "Plus, we have an hour until dawn at most. After that, there is no guarantee Zoro will be still be alive to save." The blonde's expression turned dark at his own words and Chopper found himself tapping his hooves together nervously.

'I made a vow to become a panacea: A doctor that could cure anything. I can do this. I can save him.' The little reindeer repeated to himself mentally.

"To save Zoro to be absolutely, positively sure that we can save him-we need that antidote that Uragi was carrying with him." Sanji met Luffy's gaze squarely. "Our only chance. No room for screw-ups or we'll be permanently short one swordsman. Understand?"

Luffy pulled his hat down more firmly over his head, his fingers brushing against the black cloth that hid beneath. "Right. Understood."

Sanji released a deep breath and turned back to stare out towards the isle where they had last left their companion. "Good." He muttered as he drew a smoke from his pocket.

'You better not be dead, you idiot.' Sanji mentally ordered as he struck a match against the rail. 'We came back all this way to save your ass, don't make it for nothing, you hear?'

A sudden wind swept up, throwing Sanji's hair into his face and extinguishing the match before it could ignite the cook's cigarette. The breeze seemed to carry with it an echo of an overheard insult; one spit out by a certain green-haired man almost daily.

Buzz off you Shitty Cook...

"Idiot." Sanji answered back to the wind, causing his puzzled companions to glance up at him strangely.

VVOOOVV

Zoro managed not to wince as yet another stitch closing one of his wounds was severed. Uragi had started on his shoulder and had seemed to want to work his way down from there. Right now, the bounty hunter was eyeing the slash under Zoro's ribs with a particular sort of malicious glee.

"Quite a few stitches holding that one closed." Uragi nearly purred. "That's definitely not from a bullet."

If Zoro had the breath to speak, he would have undoubtedly replied that, yes, that particular wound was because of a bullet; so his friends could fish the damn thing out of his body. It had hurt like a bitch, too, thank you very much.

But Zoro didn't have the breath to spare for speaking, let alone for sputtering out some mindless whining about his wounds. Right now Zoro had to struggle for each inhalation, as he pulled all his energy into blocking or dodging Uragi's numerous lightning thrusts. Uragi's skills were more than just passable. The man was good.

Another short slash left the pirate with one more gaping wound as carefully formed scabs were torn from the strain. Blood rolled down Zoro's body like crimson rain and his ears filled with the taunting sound of Uragi's chuckles.

"I'm quite surprised you can still stand after loosing that much blood. I half expected you didn't have enough left to bleed out."

Zoro's eyes narrowed as he thrust his katana forward harshly, trying to do nothing less than pierce that mocking bastard's skull. But his jab, as with all his previous attacks, fell short as Uragi expertly hopped backwards a hairsbreadth out of the swordsman's reach. Flipping a stand of hair from his eyes, Uragi tsked sadly.

"You do need to try harder, I'm afraid."

Zoro cursed silently as he shifted his grip on Sandai Kitetsu. He was a master of the Three Sword Style and could never really copy that same level of skill using only one katana. How was he supposed to win when his body was at its limit and all the odds were stacked against him?

"Really, Roronoa, is that honestly all you've got?"

Uragi was the picture of poise and nobility, like a king deigning to spar with one of his knights. The bounty hunter was ever calm and collected which undoubtedly pushed his reaction time to its peak. That left Zoro, with his stiff movements and frazzled nerves, with significantly less of a foothold. Zoro needed to find some way to ruffle that stuffed pigeon's feathers if he were going to gain the upper hand.

Zoro only barely managed to block a lightning stab towards his throat and was rewarded for his efforts with a heeled boot slamming into his chest. The green-haired pirate was thrown backwards to crash into a stack of crates.

That's it. Zoro had only one mission left and that was to not die until he was absolutely positive he had killed that son-of-a-bitch.

Black powder from one of the broken boxes swirled around Zoro's fallen form, drawing his attention away from his own murderous thoughts. The powder had a stark, pungent aroma that reminded the former pirate hunter of a military firing squad. There was no mistaking what this stuff was.

Gunpowder.

Zoro shifted backwards unconsciously, for the first time realizing the potential death trap they were fighting in. One wrong move and both Uragi and himself would be blown to hell. The swordsman's eyebrows rose as something small and hard jabbed at the middle of his back. Never taking his eyes off Uragi's over-relaxed form, Zoro reached his free hand backwards and nearly dropped the item in surprise.

Gripping one of the Butcher's knives tightly in his fist, Zoro's eyes darted about, quickly finding its mate stuck in the floorboards less than half a meter away. The ghost of a smirk flitted across the swordsman's lips. It was high time to level the playing field.

Thinking quickly, Zoro lashed out with his katana, his swing creating a great gust of wind that send the granules of gunpowder into the air. With the opaque cloud masking his movements, the pirate dove into a tumbling roll towards the second dagger.

"Playing dirty, are we?" Uragi's voice called out, not the least bit alarmed. "I do hope you aren't trying to run away."

The dangerous cloud of gunpowder soon settled, and Uragi's eyes swiftly zeroed in on the green-haired man's location. Zoro stood solidly before him, one dagger clenched tightly between his teeth while the second rested in his left hand. Sandai Kitetsu stood out incongruously between the trio, nearly four times longer that the other blades.

"Who's running?" Zoro gritted out from between the sweat stained hilt of the stolen dagger. "Not me."

He was off and running before Uragi could form an appropriate reply.

Uragi hurriedly lifted Wadou in defense as Zoro's katana flashed towards him. The two blades crashed together in a fury of potentially deadly sparks. But rather than withdrawing his blade, Zoro spun with the force of his own swing, pushing Uragi's sword to the right, leaving the bounty hunter defenseless against the oncoming advance of Zoro's daggers.

Uragi stumbled back, clutching his wounded side as blood spilled forth between his fingers. A vicious gash crossed the man's cheek, nearly mirroring the one on Zoro's own. Zoro backed up a step defensively as he shook his arm in a quick snapping motion to flick the blood off his hastily chosen weapon.

"Now, now..." Uragi gritted his teeth as he spoke, his eyes for the first time showing a glint of anger. "That wasn't exactly fair..."

"Fair?" Zoro snorted. "I think we're way past that." The swordsman's blades rose as he prepared for another attack.

"Is that so?" Uragi's face was lowered; his expression shadowed as his shoulders began to shake. Zoro's fists clenched tighter around the hilts of his weapons when he realized that the man was laughing.

"I suppose we should just move on to the coup de gras, eh?" Uragi's green eyes glittered as he flashed Zoro a wicked smirk. "I'm mean, your companions are very likely already dead, and your ship mere flotsam on the waves. So there really isn't much point continuing."

This time it was Zoro who laughed.

"You really are a stupid bastard." The pirate managed to grin around the obstruction in his mouth. "They're gone. First they kicked you're men's collective asses, then they left. I guess your ticket off this island already set sail." Zoro's sword flashed ominously in the dull light. "Not that you'd be alive to take it anyway."

Uragi didn't even budge as Zoro charged forward into his next attack. It was as if Zoro's last comment drained the fight from his opponent. Indeed, the bounty hunter didn't even lift his sword to defend himself as he stood thereas still as a statuehis eyes hidden between a mask of black hair.

Zoro felt three blades sink satisfyingly into flesh before Uragi suddenly dissolved before his eyes. A whispered oath past Zoro's lips as he watched his target vanish. The swordsman only had a second to react before Uragi reformed directly behind him and stabbed his hand into the green-haired man's wounded shoulder.

Zoro let out an involuntary scream as white hot fire course through his shoulder and seemingly through his very veins. Straining to glance backwards, Zoro's eyes widened as he caught sight of liquid black fingers imbedded into his flesh. Sneering, Uragi twisted his poison-filled nailed deeper into the pirate's wound.

"You're problem, Roronoa," he hissed in Zoro's ear. "Is that you try too hard to piss people off."

With a sadistic fury, Uragi yanked his hand free in a spray of blood. Zoro stumbled forward and gave a ragged half cough/half moan, before collapsing to the floor. The swordsman's body twitched and shivered, as he lay prone on the rough wooden floor.

Zoro's eyes blurred out of focus as darkness threatened to sweep him under. But the pain, the absolute agony flowing through his veins prevented the blessing of unconsciousness. All Zoro could do was let out a muffled scream.

Uragi's boot came down to rest upon Zoro's back, his heel digging into one of the swordsman's numerous wound. "That's right," Uragi whispered, almost soothingly. "I want you awake for this." Wadou dipped down into the pirate's fuzzy vision, it's blade gleaming harshly.

"I would venture to guess that you've a little over thirty minute's until my poison finally takes its toll on you. My poison has struck your nervous system. You won't be able to move." Wadou crossed the nape of Zoro's neck, leaving a light scratch in its wake.  
"Let us find a way to pass the time, shall we?"

Zoro struggled to breathe past the heaviness in his chest as his entire body throbbed with pain. But even then, the swordsman could feel Uragi slowly carve into his body like a sculptor making his first marks into a chunk of marble.

'There is no way he can cause me any more pain then this...' Zoro hazily mind supplied.

"I'll ask you to please not expire too quickly," Uragi's voice echoed from above. "I'm just getting started, after all." Zoro felt the man bend down and something touched his lower back that made the agony of all of his previous wounds fade.

And then Zoro wanted to die.

"Aaaahhhh!"

VVOOVV


	15. Chapter 15

Title: Loyalties  
Author: AstroKender  
Warnings: Just a wee bit of torture..  
Notes: no notes today, just fic.  
Feedback: Fell free to use that comment bar at the bottom of the screen.  
Disclaimers: I don't own One Piece or it's affiliates. This fic is written for entertainment purposes only and is not meant for sale. Don't sue. 

Chapter 15

"Are you sure you didn't want to go with him?" Nami asked the blonde as the Going Merry glided silently across the dark water towards the west side of the island.

"Yeah." Sanji murmured. "I'm not sure what Luffy had planned, but we're working against time here. The closer we get to where Zoro is, the better chance we have of saving him."

The room was silent for a long moment, save for the natural groans and creaks of the wooden caravel in which they sailed. The dark outline of Black Feather was visible just outside the porthole. The sky behind the island was beginning to turn gray, highlighting the cook's words.

'Sanji has been acting off', Nami thought to herself as she darted a few furtive looks in the blonde's direction. The cook was normally much more composed than this. After turning the Sanji's last comment about in her head, Nami hesitantly decided to break the nearly deafening silence, her curiosity overcoming her usual tact.

"You're really worried about him, aren't you?" Nami cast a sideways glance Sanji's way.  
"Zoro, I mean."

"What?" Sanji sputtered, his eyes widening before he was able to wrestle his emotions in check. "Are you kidding?" Sanji snorted and lifted a tattered cigarette to his lips all in one smooth motion. "Of course not." He muttered.

"Oh?" Even with her face turned away from him, the blonde could practically hear Nami's raised eyebrow as she quietly mocked his flippant answer. Frowning, Sanji for some reason felt the need to explain.

"Yeah. I mean, he's an ass for one thing. And he's stubborn and pigheaded beyond belief…. And he's an ass."

"You said that already."

"Right. Well, he is. And the moron wouldn't no how to take care of himself if you handed him a manual. But…As much as he is stupid lump of muscle with no direction sense and even less brains, I just don't want us to have to deal with some shitty replacement, with less skill, stomping around like he owns the place." Sanji muttered out in a rush, avoiding Nami's gaze.

That blanket of silence draped over the kitchen once more as the redhead turned to scrutinize the ship's cook. Nami smiled gently as she regarded her companion's down-turned face. "You're right. It would be a real pain, and it'd probably be costly even, to get another swordsman. Not that we could find one to match Zoro's skills"

Staring out the porthole, Sanji grunted his agreement.

"So we'll just have to get back the one we had, right?"

Another grunt. Sanji was even beginning to sound like their missing comrade. Nami sighed. This downtrodden Sanji was not someone she was used to dealing with. An idea flashed quickly into her minds and, this time, Nami found it hard to hide her smirk.

"Oh, Sanji dear?" she purred.

"Nhh?" Sanji hadn't even turned in the redhead's direction.

Nami donned her most helpless expression as she wriggled in place. "My bra's too tight…uhnn…and it's itching me too…." The redhead held her breath expectantly.

3…

2…

1…

The transformation was almost miraculous.

"I'll be happy to take it off for you Miss Nami!" Sanji, whirled around, his eyes morphing into bulging hearts. The blonde practically floated Nami's way. "Tell me, are your panties too tight as well?" Sanji's fingers wriggled predatorily.

Nami's eye twitched at the thin line of drool sneaking from in between Sanji's lips. Perhaps a sulking Sanji wasn't really so bad. Nami raised her fist, preparing to knock the cook down a peg.

"Guys!" Vivi burst through the door, effectively saving Sanji from being pummeled. "Guys!" She panted out, panic clear on her face as she scoured the kitchen frantically with her eyes.

"Vivi?"

The blue-haired girl looked close to pulling her hair out in worry. "Have either of you seen Carue?" she asked desperately.

VVOOOVV

It was with much coughing and sputtering that Luffy emerged from the marsh. Covered from head to toe in slime and algae, the dark-haired boy looked like some sort of monster floating through the pre-dawn mist. Alarmed, his companion floundered back a few steps merely at the sight of him.

"Well, that answered that." The rubber-boy panted, as he tried to wipe the mud from his eyes.

Luffy's gaze raised to the sky, where one by one, the stars were beginning to fade against the onslaught of the oncoming day. That little errand had taken longer than he thought. Although the rubber-boy couldn't precisely judge how much time there was before the sun roselike Nami or Sanji could do—Luffy could easily tell that time was quickly running out.

"Quack?"

Luffy glanced over at his companion, a giant grin spreading across his face. "Yeah, I got it." The captain held up his prize.

"Qua! Qua!" Carue hopped about impatiently, motioning for Luffy to hurry and climb upon his back.

Nodding, Luffy took a moment to struggle into a certain item before jumping onto Carue's back with a wet plop. The spot-billed duck's feathers ruffled slightly at the sheer, well, sliminess of his burden. But Carue was a soldier and swiftly took his mind off just how long it would take to clean his saddle not to mention his feathersafter this little escapade.

"Vivi said you were fast," Luffy patted the back of the duck's mangled helmet. "Let's see what you can do."

If Carue were capable of it, he would have grinned. He wasn't just fast; no one in his squad, nay—in all of Alabasta—could match the yellow duck's lightning speed. Shaking his shoulders, Carue silently vowed to show this pirate just what he could do. Marsh or desert, Carue could run like the very wind.

"Quack!"

VVOOOVV

"Wake up…Roronoa…You're strong enough that you couldn't have died yet. Open your eyes or else I shall be forced to simply remove your eyelids."

That cold, snakelike voice was as effective as being doused with water. Zoro jerked awake with a start, amazed, and a little grateful, that he had finally passed out after the pain that had seared through his body. If he had been capable of rational thought back then, he would have fully expected never to wake up.

But he was definitely awake now.

Uragi squatted before him, practically nose to nose with the swordsman. Zoro stared blearily at that crooked grin, recognition dawning as memories slowly returned to him. Frowning fiercely, the green-haired man wished he could drag enough saliva from his mouth to spit into the smirking man's face.

"By that look I assume you're ready to play some more?" Uragi rose to his feet, patting imaginary dust from his oversized jacket.

Zoro, unable to move and unwilling to speak, could only glare as he struggled to update his mind on his body's condition.

His lower back burned like fire; that hadn't changed. And he was bleeding from numerous cuts across his body, though they seemed superficial at worst. His arms were bound together and tied above his head with a thick length of rope, more—he suspected—to keep him upright then to keep him from actually escaping. He definitely wasn't in any shape to move about at this point.

His body was still plagued with a sort of numbness, evidence that whatever new toxin Uragi had injected him with had yet to wear off. His body had been forced into a kneeling position and, looking down, the green-haired man quickly realized that he had been divested of the scant remainder of his clothing. Judging from the scratches marring his thighs, it was done with his sword.

Now that made Zoro mad. Those were his last pair of pants.

"It appears that last bit with the acid was a little too much for even you, so I'm afraid we'll have to return to more traditional forms of torture. It's really no fun if you're not conscious to scream."

Uragi walked a few meters away, to where a small table had been set up. The dark-haired man stood before what Zoro guessed to be a decent array of torture devices, trying to decide which to use on him first. Using this distraction, Zoro forced his head back to find out what exactly he was bound to.

Zoro's eyes widened at the sight of two of his swords—both Yubashiri and Sandai Kitetsu—propped in the space between two stacks of crates. The swords formed a makeshift bar of folded steel that easily held up the swordsman's dead weight. Zoro growled as he stared balefully at his weapons. So close…. Uragi was taunting Zoro with his own helplessness.

"You know," Uragi called out, as he lifted something long from the small table. "The one thing people constantly get wrong about me, is that I only became a bounty hunter after I ingested the Doku Doku Fruit."

Zoro watched Uragi slowly approach, bile rising in his throat.

"But that is incorrect. I began my life as a bounty hunter long before I partook of the miraculous Devil's Fruit. I had many ways of convincing my prey to give up without a fight." The dark-haired man tapped a large wooden stick against his palm. "They had to be alive, you see, or the reward was halved. But I convinced them to come with me peacefully, oh yes. The Devil's Fruit just made my job easier."

"Do you—" Zoro coughed out, his throat dry and raw from screaming. "Love to hear yourself talk—or what?" another cough. "Stop your bullshit and do whatever you're gonna do…before I die from listening to your irritating voice yammering on." The swordsman croaked out irritably.

Uragi laughed. "Forgive me if I bore you with my nostalgic tales."

The bounty hunter pressed the stick against Zoro's neck and slowly dragged it backwards. Puzzled, Zoro frowned, feeling something gritty and coarse scrape across his skin.

"Sand?"

Uragi positively beamed. "Indeed! This 'bat' has been dipped in special glue and rolled around in the roughest textured sand on the island. A regular beating just does your general amount of damage. This little tool will inevitably spice things up a bit." Uragi swung the stick back. "This may make your skin a bit raw, I believe. I can't say for sure since I've never gotten the opportunity to use it. Do tell me what you think afterwards"

To his credit, Zoro barely flinched as the first of the blows rained down and his skin began feeling as if it were being ripped from his body. None of them were direct hits, of course, as the feeling of the sand scrapping across his skin stung worse than any relatively solid blow to Zoro's body.

The swordsman knelt there silently, with nothing but the occasional grunt being forced from between his lips, as he watched Uragi as the man slowly wore himself down. All the while Zoro tried to get his arms to move all the while praying that the poison would let him live long enough for the opportunity to rip his opponent to pieces.

VVOOOVV

"Shit!" Sanji cursed as the ship listed wildly on its side before rocking back violently. That last projectile had missed them by mere centimeters.

The blonde stared angrily at the shoreline, where a pair of cannons sat amongst the island foliage, ready to pick them off if they attempted to move even a meter closer to the island. Sanji heard a muffled shout from below deck, from a voice that sounded like Usopp's. The rounds of enemy fire and the Going Merry's subsequent evasions were probably jarring the sharpshooter's leg painfully. Sanji clenched the rail in a sort of helpless fury.

"Damn it…" he spat. "We don't have time for this."

"Sanji!" Nami's voice filtered out from the helm. "I can't get us any closer, we're not going to be able to dock here! We've got to sail around to a different spot!"

"No!" Sanji shouted back, his eyes glued to the pink glow on the horizon. "Damn it…" he repeated, his mind racing for some solution.

Another cannon shot fired, this time missing them by a wide margin. The tide was receding, and the Going Merry couldn't travel very much further into the shallow water even if they weren't being attacked. If they were to get to the island, they would either have to follow Nami's advice or….

Closing his eyes, Sanji cursed the inevitable ruining of yet another pair of good shoes. "Nami!" Sanji shouted as his eyes shot opened resolutely. "When I give the word, pull the ship back beyond cannon range! Don't get closer until you stop hearing gunfire!"

"What?" The navigator's voice rang out of the kitchen hollowly. "What are you plan—"

"Now!" Sanji screamed as he took a deep breath and dove off the ship.

The water was damn cold and Sanji felt his heavy clogs trying to drag him under. The cook could have easily left his shoes on the ship, but his kicks wouldn't pack the same punch without his sturdy footwear. Right now, he needed the ability to break cannons…or heads.

Sanji's head emerged from the water a short distance later. The cook hastily brushed his hair from his eyes and glanced back towards the ship. He was relieved to see that Nami was following his orders as the Going Merry slowly turned back towards the ocean. Spitting out a mouthful of salt water. Sanji prepared himself for a warm up swim to shore before—

"Come on, Mr. Sanji. We don't have much time, am I right?"

Sanji whirled, sending a small spray of waves in every which direction. Wild eyes stared at a certain blue haired girl without comprehension.

"Vivi…." The light cracking of gunfire caused reality to crash down swiftly onto the blonde's shoulders. "What in the hell do you think you're doing?" he shouted.

"I'm a fighter too, you know." Vivi scowled delicately as she held aloft one of her deadly peacock blades like a pointed reminder. "If I could infiltrate Baroque Works, I can certainly help you out with a few untrained villagers. But I won't allow you to kill them." She hastily added. "We'll just beat them up a little, right?"

Sanji had a feeling there was going to be a bit more to it than that, but declined to say anything. After all, it was too late to do anything about it now, save for making the girl dog paddle in the middle of the bay until their ship returned. The cook heaved a sigh before breaking out a crooked grin.

"Well then get ready, Princess. Because you are about ready to partake in a full course of ass-kicking."

Vivi returned his grin with a growing one of her own. "Right!"

VVOOOVV

"Thanks, Carue." Luffy whispered as he hopped off the yellow duck's back.

The trip hadn't taken long, with most of the time spent avoiding any groups of villagers that were still roaming about bearing their shovels and kitchen knives. The islanders seemed even more upset that before, and Luffy had caught snippets of their conversations at the times he and Carue were forced to hide in the underbrush. Apparently, his crew was now being blamed for all the cannon fire earlier, regardless of the fact that the cannons had been shooting at them.

Staring across the vast expanse of swamp, the rubber-boy's eyes narrowed dangerously. There, in the center of a large, seemingly unending expanse of marsh, was the warehouse that he was searching for. Uragi had really slipped the wool over the eyes of the villagers, if such a vast armament could remain hidden for so long. Who knew what kinds of weapons were being stored in the ponderous building? It was like a dark hole that that snake Uragi had slithered into.

And Luffy was going to flush him out.

There in that snake's den— hopefully, he would find Zoro alive and the grease guy already dead. Luffy was willing to sacrifice a good fight in order to save a crewman's life. And if it meant saving Zoro, Luffy would almost swear off fighting for good.

The pirate felt a small nudge at his back and turned around to look at his traveling companion. Carue was looking up at him questioningly, impatience clear on his feathered face. The duck clearly thought that they should spend less time sightseeing and more time moving. Luffy wasn't the only one ready for a fight if need be.

The Straw Hat Captain knew, however, that this wasn't the mallard's fight. In a slow, deliberate movement, Luffy removed his precious straw hat and hung it upon Carue's bill. A wide grin stretched the rubber-boy's cheeks.

"Go find the others. They'll be west, I think. Wherever that is."

Carue quacked angrily in protest.

"Go on." Luffy gave the duck a gentle shove. "How else are they gonna find this place?"

Carue, dumbfounded by the dark-haired boy's logical retort, could only watch as Luffy carefully tightened the black bandanna before winding his arm back like a corkscrew. The rubber-boy glanced back once and with a wink—suddenly let his arm fly, throwing him into a sort of self-pitch towards the warehouse. Carue soon lost his figure in the murky distance.

VVOOOVV

Usopp stared at Chopper pensively as the reindeer worked. The animal turned doctor was mixing a variable cocktail of liquids as he moved about, lighting Bunsen burners and digging out packet of unknown powders.

"Do you think they'll bring him back?" The sharpshooter asked in a rare display of uncertainty that could only be attributed to the recent dose of painkillers.

Looking up from his mortar and pestle, Chopper paused. "I don't know." He admitted in a tiny voice still couched in misery. All of his mixing and rushing about was really just to give him something to do during the excruciating wait, or else he would probably go mad. The so-called 'Quack' Doctor's face hovered jovially behind his eyelids, reminding him of his very first failure in saving a life. The reindeer desperately didn't want Zoro as a second mark against his record.

"Ah, it's Luffy we're talking about, right?" Usopp chucked halfheartedly, as he tried to surreptitiously adjust his injured leg. "Of course he'll bring Zoro back!"

"What's Zoro really like?" Chopper asked abruptly. "I've known him for such a short time but, even if he looked really scary, he always seemed kind. Uh, except when it came to Sanji…er…or Nami." Chopper laughed weakly. "Or you, for that matter."

Usopp propped his hands behind his head as he gave this ponderous new question some thought. "He is scary looking, that's for sure. So much that, when he and the others landed in Syrup Village, I nearly piss—ah, anyway," the sharpshooter swiftly switched his train of thought as he wondered suspiciously if Chopper had slipped some sort of truth serum into those pain-killers. "He looks scary and he is scarywhen he gets angry, or irritated, or slightly miffed…."

"Usopp." Chopper sighed.

"Right, right. The point is, that's just the surface. Deep down, I think, he really cares for all of us even Sanji if you can believe it. He tries to take care of us too, though he doesn't do it in that obvious kind of way."

The sharpshooter stared unseeing at the adjacent wall as he mused aloud. "He's sort of like the ocean. It can be dark and turbulent on top but, deep below, its calm. It's got the power to crush the largest ships, but it also carries even the smallest of fish in its gentle current." Usopp waved his hand in the air for dramatic effect.

"Wow." Chopper exclaimed in awe, impressed that Usopp could think such deep thoughts.

"Yeah! He's the backbone of the crew, really." Usopp exclaimed. Warming up to his metaphor, began to elaborate with his own personal anatomy lesson. "Luffy, of course, is the heart. And Nami's the brain. And Zoro is the backbone." The sharpshooter nodded at his own profound wisdom.

"Then what is Sanji?"

"Oh, Sanji is definitely the pen—" Catching the little reindeer's widening eyes, Usopp faltered. "The legs. Yup. That's Sanji. Definitely the legs."

"Oh." Chopper breathed, obviously relieved. The doctor stared down at his the floor for a moment, as if he were trying to process all this new information.

"A-and us?" he whispered softly, as if afraid of the answer. "What are we, Usopp?"

Usopp closed his eyes and heaved a heavy sigh. "Us? Well, we're the hands." The long-nosed boy cracked one eye as he judged his companion's reaction. "They're very important you know. Can't do much without them."

Chopper's eyes widened as his slowly raised his small hooves in front of his face. "The hands…." He murmured as a wide smile curled slowly across his lips.

"Mmmhmmm." Usopp's eye drifted closed once more as the corner of his mouth quirked up faintly. "Very important."

VVOOOVV


	16. Chapter 16

Loyalties  
By AstroKender  
Warnings:Swearing, Blood, violence, sexual innuendo and angst  
Notes: This is one of my favorite chapters. For all of you waiting for Uragi to get his, you won't have to wait much longer, I promise.  
Feedback: there is an annoying button at the bottom of the screen that, like Uragi, is just begging to be punched.  
Disclaimers: One Piece belongs to Eichiro Oda, 4kids and various other affiliates. I don't own em, I don't make money off em, I just play with them. 

Chapter 16

"Stay here." Vivi ordered as she began wading to shore.

Sanji's shoes brushed the bay's sandy bottom briefly before an oncoming wave forced him to dog paddle in order to keep his head afloat. The blonde's eyes tracked the Alabasta princess worriedly. A hundred misgivings floated through his head at the mere idea of letting a woman be the first to run… err…swim headlong into a battlefield.

To the cook's astonishment, the sound of gunfire stopped. Peering through a waterlogged curtain of hair, Sanji was astonished to see their attackers slowly lining up on the beach, a strange expression collectively overtaking their faces. Overcome with curiosity, Sanji's gaze switched back to his blue-haired companion. What he saw made him accidentally swallow a whole mouthful of ocean.

Seawater never looked so good as it caused the thin material of Vivi's clothes to cling to her lithe body. The young woman stood firmly in the sand as waves crested just above her knees. Light tan capris molded to her legs like paint, showing off the faint lines that traced down just below the small of her back.

A thong!

Sanji could have sworn he must have gotten shot and died, with this vision of loveliness before him. Like a mermaid rising from the sea…. Sanji's heart and a few other choice body parts—throbbed painfully, proving that he was indeed very much alive. The princess's small T-shirt hugged her back transparently, showing not one hint of bra strap. Which meant the fellows on shore were getting a much better view than the cook.

Bastards.

Vivi's voice filtered into Sanji's ears like a sweet siren's sound as the blue-haired girl called out to their attackers.

"Please, help us!" the princess managed to put just the right amount of desperation in her plea. "My sister and I managed to jump ship while you were attacking. Don't let those evil pirates capture us again!"

"Sister?" Sanji repeated incredulously, suddenly snapping out of his fantasy-induced daze. On some lower level the blonde was beginning to think he had been insulted.

"You're not pirates?" One man on shore called out hesitantly.

"We're not! Please, will you help us?" Vivi did her best to make certain parts of her body stick out in what she thought might be a helplessly seductive pose. Judging from the happy smiles spreading across the men's faces, she had hit the jackpot.

Nami was right; men were dogs….

"Please save me and my sister!" The princess again implored.

The mob's self-imposed spokesperson shuffled forward a couple of steps, before squinting in Sanji's direction.

"It looks like your sister has a goatee." He exclaimed warily.

Vivi let out a frustrated sigh, her face going sour. 'So much for plan A'. Slipping her hands into her pockets, the princess withdrew two teardrop-shaped knives bound by separate lengths of wire. Whirling her weapons around with deadly velocity, she let one of her peacock blades fly unerringly towards the crowd.

Taking her cue, Sanji leapt from the water with a grace much like that of a dolphin; easily clearing the distance to shore. The blonde landed with a spinning kick that easily took down two potential attackers. A third man stumbled backwards fearfully, his face white as he pointed at the cook.

"Your sister's a guy!" he called out mindlessly to Vivi, who was busy fighting off a handful of men with razor-sharp efficiency.

Sanji's heel dropped down on the man's head, effectively rendering him unconscious. "I have a hormone problem." He told the slumped form with a smirk.

The fight was over in minutes. Vivi had been right about their attackers being only an unskilled bunch of villagers. Soon Sanji was dusting the sand off his pants as he turned towards Vivi as she took down the last of their foes.

"You okay, little sister?"

Vivi flicked a strand of hair back into place with a grin. "Of course, big sister!" she saluted with a wink. Heaving a tired sigh, the blue-haired girl tried to catch her breath as she gazed down at her fallen foes. "I hope we didn't hurt them too badly."

"Heh." Sanji snorted. "Seeing you waltz out of the ocean like that probably caused them a lot more damage." The blonde arched an elaborately curled eyebrow. "Where did you learn such a tactic, anyway? Such methods are hardly befitting royalty, Princess."

Vivi had the decency to blush. "I've ah—kind of been taking some pointers from Nami."

Sanji's grin widened as he shook his head in amusement. "Thank you, teacher!" he murmured to himself.

"We ought to hurry." Vivi told him, her expression turning serious. "We still have to find Mr. Bushido, do we not?"

"I'm afraid I can't let you leave here alive." An unfamiliar voice intoned. "I am under orders from Mr. Uragi to destroy the Straw Hat Pirates and, if possible, commandeer their ship."

Sanji watched a large man emerge from the shadows behind the cannons. "It looks like we're going to be experiencing a little delay, Miss Vivi." Sanji murmured as he gently pushed the blue-haired princess behind his back protectively.

"I had received a report that your ship had already set sail off this island. I assume now that the report was false." Thick fingers ran absently through a head of closely shorn hair. On his the knuckles sat a band of steel dotted with spikes. These fearsome looking weapons matched the ones on the man's elbows, knees, and feet. Two glittering eyes peered out from bushy eyebrows, watching Sanji's movements like a hawk.

This obviously was no country bumpkin.

Grabbing at a tiny metal cylinder hanging from his neck, the man raised the item to his lips. A high-pitched whistle echoed across the beachundoubtedly calling to attention any man that had heard it. Sanji cursed silently as he realized his instincts had been right. Things weren't going to be simple.

"Mr. Sanji…" Vivi clutched as the cook's shirtsleeve.

"Go." He muttered back to her. "You've got to find some way to warn the others. It's not going to be safe for them to anchor here."

"What about Mr. Bushido?"

The Sanji's face hardened as he sized up his new opponent. 'Damn it. Zoro, you pain in the ass.'

"I guess we have to rely on Luffy for now." The blonde stated fatalistically.

'You better not die, idiot'

VVOOOVV

The lanterns illuminating the interior of the warehouse burned low and were slowly replaced by the ever-lightening gray pouring through the buildings clouded windows. The nighttime insects were quieting, wary of the persistent cries of the hungry Cormorants as they began to search for their breakfast. Tiny dust motes floated through the air inside the wooden storehouse, creating a soft atmosphere that contrasted the harsh reality occurring below.

Arms hanging from above, bound to his own weapons, Zoro's skin seemed to be dyed red with blood. The swordsman's chin rested against his chest, hiding his face from view. Zoro hung, defeated. Even his notorious strength had fled under his captor's relentless and torturous assault.

Uragi had stopped his painful ministrations and now sat cross-legged on the floor in front of the green-haired man. His shirtfront sat unbuttoned beneath his cumbersome looking jacket as he lounged in a picture of relaxed repose. A silver flask dangled between his fingers as the thin man regarded his prey with calculating eyes.

"I'm not always so ruthless, you must understand." Uragi spoke softly, as if confiding his sins. "I'm afraid you made me fly quite off the handle earlier." He took a quick swig of whatever liquor filled his flask.

Zoro was silent and unmoving; only the thick rope entwining his wrists held him upright.

"Would you like to know why I am so angry with you?" Uragi sighed and another gulp of alcohol flowed down into his stomach before he answered his own rhetorical question. "No, I don't suppose you would."

"I thought my prayers had come true when I saw you stride into that bar two days ago. Finally, a way off this island, and a potential comrade to help push me from a common criminal back to the high ranks of society."

Uragi was silent for a moment before he decided to continue. "I don't know how you got your friends to abandon you here but, now here we both are. How old do you think I will be by the time the next ship docks here?" the bounty hunter gave a small disparaging laugh. "I really should let you live just so you would know how I have suffered. As they say, misery loves company."

Uragi's eyes narrowed as he noted that his captive hadn't so much as twitched. Crawling forward, the dark-haired man stuck one long claw beneath Zoro's chin, raising his head slightly. Zoro's dull eyes stared back at him sightlessly.

"Look at you," he whispered. "You're already dead."

Still willing to hope, Uragi carefully trickled the remains of his potent flask of alcohol over the swordsman's raw and wounded flesh. Not one muscle twitched in reaction to the burning liquid. After a moment's careful observation, Uragi let out a disappointed sigh.

"Bloody damn." Uragi let the swordsman's head drop in disgust. "That wasn't even the least bit satisfying." He muttered as he wearily pushed himself to his feet.

"Gomu Gomu no Rocket Punch!"

Uragi never even had the chance to react as two enormous fists plowed into his jaw with all the force of a cannon blast. The bounty hunter was thrown across the open space of the warehouse and smacked heavily into the opposite wall. Uragi slipped slowly to the floor, momentarily stunned.

"Leave him the hell alone!" The echo of an angry voice snarled across the distance.

"S-st-traw Hat?" Uragi mumbled through broken teeth as the man struggled to focus his suddenly blurry vision. "H-how on earth…?"

Luffy's eyes never left his quarry as he strode forward, his eyes shadowed under a strip of black cloth. The pirate captain halted his steps right in front of his first mate, in the space that the bounty hunter had just previously occupied. Still watching Uragi like a hawk, Luffy spoke.

"Get up, Zoro."

The swordsman did not respond.

"Zoro."

Again, nothing.

"Get up, you bastard." Luffy commanded harshly and, taking a page from Sanji's book, his foot swept out with neck snapping force. The elongated limb collided with the pile of crates nearest to the Zoro, sending them flying outward into the air. Gone with the boxes collapse was the support they gave one end of Zoro's katanas. The swords tumbled to the ground with a clatter, muffled only by the rope that encircled the sheaths, and their owner followed suit and toppling face first into the floor.

"Come on, hurry up!" Luffy's arms crossed, and his fingers drummed an impatient beat.

"…Lu…"

"…ffy…" a faint voice whispered over the wooden floorboards, barely audible and alarmingly weak sounding.

The rubber-boy hadn't even spared his friend a glance. Luffy's stare was reserved for the enemy, who was slowly struggling to his knees. But his words were for Zoro and Zoro alone.

"Are you going to let this guy beat you like this?" the rubber-boy asked his partner.

"You are thinking wishfully, Straw Hat." Uragi called out as he painstakingly regained his feet. Blood trickled slowly down the bounty hunter's chin. "He's finished."

This time Luffy did look at Zoro, a deep frown etching his animate face. "Get up!" he hissed. "I didn't think I had such a weakling in my crew."

"…leave…" Zoro's voice rasped out faintly, making his captain's eyes narrow.

"Get the hell up, damn you!" Luffy screamed furiously as his body positively shook with unleashed anger. "Loser! If you'd give up this easy, you're not even fit to be my mate! You promised to be the greatest!"

"You obviously expect a miracle to happen." Uragi shook his head as he irritably brushed the dust from his clothes. Snarling, Luffy shot a murderous glare at the man. The bounty hunter quickly dissolved as the rubber-boy sent a second punch flying his way.

Satisfied the enemy had at least temporarily backed down; Luffy looked down at his first mate. Luffy's eyes bored into the swordsman's back, focusing unconsciously on a raw and blistering patch of skin shaped in the form of an 'X'. The mark reminded Luffy somehow of a pirate's flaglike the crossbones of their own Jolly Roger.

"Zoro!" Luffy's voice was low and clear and filled with a commanding presence that only rarely made itself known. "Get up now! That's an order from your captain!"

Zoro's body twitched almost involuntarily. The green-haired head lifted off the floor the merest of fractions. But Luffy wasn't satisfied.

"I said…GET…UP!" The rubber-boy reached his hand down and got a firm grip on those green locks and forcefully pulled the swordsman to his knees.

Two coal black eyes glared back at him, murder flashing in their depths. "I'll kill you…." Zoro snarled up at his captain. A callous-covered hand grabbed Luffy's wrist harshly as broken pieces of rope fluttered to the floor.

Luffy's firm gaze melted into a heart wrenching expression of absolute relief but was quickly hidden, broke by a carefree grin. "No problem." The dark-haired boy replied cheerfully as he carefully helped pull his comrade fully to his feet. "You can do it as soon as we win this fight."

Zoro leaned heavily against his captain, his head swimming dizzily and the rest of his body moving as if weighted down with lead. Fire coursed up the swordsman's body with every blessed, every cursed, life-giving breath. Too weak to move just yet, Zoro found himself resting his forehead against the top of Luffy's cloth-covered head.

"Damn you…" he cursed his savior breathlessly.

"You're welcome." The arm supporting him gave his waist a gentle squeeze that still managed to hurt, though Zoro would die before he'd admit it.

"Roronoa! I can't believe it! How in blue blazes are you managing to stand?" Uragi spoke wonderingly, suddenly reforming a mere two meters from where the pirates stood.

"Back off, Greasy!" Luffy snarled threateningly, his arms tightening protectively around his burden.

"Keep your nose out of where it doesn't belong, Luffy." Zoro rasped out angrily.

The straw-hat captain ignored Zoro's warning tone in favor of concentrating on the thin layer of blood that coated his arms where he held his first mate upright. It had been stupid of them to think that Uragi's poison was the only danger Zoro faced. The dark-haired boy bit his lip anxiously as stared up into Zoro's clouded eyes, trying to gauge the swordsman's ability to hold onto consciousness.

Honing in on the unspoken worry, the swordsman irritably nudged Luffy away.

"You gonna be all right?" Luffy asked in only half-concealed concern as he carefully slipped his arms away. Zoro wobbled slightly, but stayed on his feet.

"What kind of question is that to ask right now?" the swordsman demanded. Placing the palm of his hand on Luffy's middle, he pushed past his captain and stumbled forward. Luffy stared down at the dark transfer of blood onto his red vest with wide eyes.

'This ain't good.' The rubber-boy thought worriedly. On the outside he merely gave Zoro a nod and confident smirk.

"Then lets hurry up and kick this guy's ass so we can leave." He said nonchalantly, and Zoro grunted his affirmative.

"Truly amazing!" Uragi's hands clasped together like he had discovered some buried treasure. "To think there is anyone who exists with your kind of constitution. I new you were different from the moment I saw you. Amazing. Absolutely amazing!" He repeated in awe.

"Amazing?" Zoro growled.

Clenching his fists, the green-haired man fought the urge to lunge at the bounty hunter, in favor of staying upright. A rising tide of nausea made Zoro choke back the need to vomit as his stomach churned restlessly. But he refused to show any more weakness to this man.

"You poison me, threaten my friends, beat me to hell and back just because I wouldn't kill them, and you call me amazing?" Zoro shook his head incredulously. "You, Uragi, are the one who takes the cake."

"Well, I've been thinking, " Uragi rubbed the back of his head in a sheepish motion that was totally incongruent with his personality. "Perhaps we should move past all that, and try a new approach. Throw in the olive branch, so to speak."

"What?" Zoro's eyes narrowed suspiciously. Beside him, Luffy frowned.

Uragi paced back and forth, making sure to keep enough distance from the pirates to prevent provoking an attack. "I have something you want… two somethings in fact. And, in turn, you have something I desire."

Uragi stopped and turned back towards the two, his eyes suddenly as blue as the ocean at midday. Reaching into his coat, the bounty hunter pulled out a small vial filled with a sparkling liquid. In his other hand he held out the white katana, Wadou. Titling his head slightly, Uragi quirked up one dark eyebrow.

"Well, what say you? I would be willing to trade your sword and the antidote in exchange for safe passage to the next island, or until any such time that I could procure a ship. No, strings, no hidden agendas, and I swear upon my own life that I would not attack you at any time during the voyage."

Zoro was silent, his expression dark.

"Come on, Roronoa." Uragi wheedled. "It is not too late to be cured of my poison. Surely you don't really want to die here. Unless you take the antidote your body will last a few more minutes, at most. Your iron constitution won't be enough to save you from that."

"Forget it." The swordsman shook his head. "It ain't worth it."

"What?" Uragi brows drew together in confusion. "How can you say your life isn't worth a measly ship passage?"

"Because…" Zoro slid down to one knee and, with hands that seemed to shake with palsy, took up his two katanas. It took him a moment to struggle to his feet but, once he did, his eyes latched on to Uragi with a newly kindled fierceness.

"Because," the pirate repeated, his face white from the strain of just staying upright. Sword tips wobbled threateningly at the bounty hunter, held aloft by arms nearly drained of strength. "Then I would have to go through the rest of my days knowing that I left you alive."

"Zoro." Luffy murmured softly, couching the name in unspoken admiration and pride.

Uragi's face seemed to transform in front of them as his eyes darkened to green and his pupils elongated into slits. A tight-lipped, cruel smile spread over Uragi's face as the antidote disappeared somewhere in the deep recesses of his oversized jacket. Zoro's katana was belted back onto the dark-haired man's belt with short, jerky motions before Uragi's hands slipped into his jacket once more.

"Well," he sighed. "It's your loss, really."

With no other warning, Uragi drew two one-shot pistols. The bounty hunter's own special blade-tipped bullets fired into Luffy's chest at nearly point blank range. The future Pirate King's body jerked involuntarily as the bullets pierced his body. The dark-haired boy fell backwards without a word.

For Zoro, the whole world seemed to stop.

VVOOOVV


	17. Chapter 17

Loyalties  
By AstroKender  
Warnings: Swearing, Blood, Violence and Angst  
Notes: Gah. This chapter was half done and still took forever to post! (I blame a certain someone who had gotten me obsessed with a thing called Chibaslash from a certain anime called Beck.) But fear not! The climax approachith! Slapped out there willy-nilly, don't be offended by any spelling/grammar mistakes. They will be fixed in time ;;; Plus, posted in word instead of notepad. Welcome to formatting!  
Feedback: there is an annoying button at the bottom of the screen that, like Uragi, is just begging to be punched...  
Disclaimers: One Piece belongs to Eichiro Oda, 4kids and various other affiliates. I don't own em, I don't make money off em, I just play with them.

Chapter 17

"Luffy!" Zoro shouted out hoarsely.

The swordsman made an aborted motion towards his captain before turning and charging at Uragi with a roar of absolute rage. The bounty hunter looked over at Zoro calmly, his smoking pistols still held aloft. Uragi dematerialized just as Zoro reached him, causing the pirate to overcompensate for the wild swing of his katanas.

Zoro hit the ground shoulder first, skidding across the wooden planks with the force of his momentum. Unable to keep his grip, Zoro felt his swords fly out of his hands. It was a long moment before the green-haired man found the strength to rise.

"Damn it…." Zoro's voice broke slightly as he stared through the frame of his arms at Luffy's fallen form. The rubber-boy wasn't moving. Zoro managed to push his chest a bit further off the ground before his arms gave out and he collapsed back onto the floor in exhaustion.

"So much for saviors, eh Roronoa?" Uragi commented lightly as he raised his foot to rest on top of the swordsman's head. "Now that I have my potential bounty, all I need is a ship. Things are shaping up well for me, don't you think?"

It was simple to ignore the heel grinding against his temple; Zoro didn't even feel it past the horrible ache in his chest. Zoro struggled to focus through a sluggishly swimming vision, his peripherals blocked by wood and leather. If Zoro could only crane his head a little to the left, he would still be able to see his captain.

Spying a blur of red and brown through the corner of one eye, Zoro's eyes widened as the indistinct form twitched. Gaping like a landed fish, the swordsman watched as the rubber-boy let out a small cough before jumping to his feet. Patting his chest with a wince, Luffy released a huge sigh.

"Whew! I thought I was a goner." He exclaimed cheerfully. Catching sight of Uragi and his makeshift footstool, the pirate captain squawked. "Hey!" he cried indignantly.

Like a giant rubber band, Luffy's arm sprang out, clotheslining Uragi across the neck and sending the stunned bounty hunter sprawling. Rather then retract, the stretchy appendage followed in pursuit, clasping firmly to something near Uragi's waist. In the blink of an eye, Zoro's white sheathed katana was at Luffy's side.

"That doesn't belong to you." Luffy told his adversary reproachfully.

"Why aren't you?" Zoro rasped as Luffy strolled up to him. The green-haired man had yet to regain his feet and looked as if he were in no hurry to change that fact.

"Why aren't I what?" Luffy asked, puzzled. He squatted next to Zoro comfortably, as if it were just another day on the Going Merry.

"A goner!" Zoro sighed, to tired to play word games with his air-headed captain.

"Ack! I forgot!" Luffy jumped to his feet and swiftly unbuttoned his shirt, revealing some sort of mud covered material underneath.

Zoro's mind tried desperately to process what his eyes were seeing. "The vest. Is that the leather vest I gave you? The one I traded in that other sword for?" Zoro demanded dazedly as he gingerly rolled over onto his back in order to get a better look.

"Yup. That's the one." Luffy patted the armor proudly, before picking the bullets out as if they were stray breadcrumbs.

"But you told me…you said you threw it away!" Zoro was confused and that never failed to piss him off. If he had the strength he would have shaken a straight answer out of the other boy.

"Heh." Luffy grinned mischievously. "It took a long time to find it after I tossed it into that swamp. If it weren't for that one log that looked like a drumstick I think I'd still be out there. But I'm not. I'm here."

Zoro stared at the amused crescents that made up Luffy's eyes and felt something bubble up through his chest. A helpless chuckle broke past the swordsman's lips as Zoro closed his eyes in resignation.

"Yes." He murmured wryly. "Yes, you are."

Their pleasant conversation was interrupted by the sound of a gunshot. Zoro's eyes snapped open in time to see Luffy's hand fly up in front of his own face. Zoro flinched reflexively as a small spray of blood threatened to blind his vision.

"Luffy! Are you all right?" The green-haired man heaved himself up into a sitting position.

Luffy's hand curled around a large musket as he slowly unshielded his face. The bladed end of Uragi's bullet had pierced clean through the rubber-boy's palm and now stuck out painfully between the tendons on the back of his hand.

Luffy wiped a stray splash of blood from his face before nonchalantly yanking the projectile from his flesh. A low growl rumbled up the rubber-boy's throat as he glared daggers at Uragi.

"You don't like to play fair, do you?" It was more of a statement than a question.

"One does what one must." Uragi replied as he discarded the now-useless firearm.

"I'm feeling like I _must_ kick your ass." Luffy snarled back. "You with me, Zoro?" he asked his companion.

"Yeah." Zoro muttered darkly as he made as if to rise to his feet. The swordsman froze less than halfway, however, his face taking on the expression of one enduring excruciating pain.

Falling back with a gasp, Zoro clutched his chest mindlessly as he struggled to remember how to breathe. It felt as though his heart was being forcibly ripped from his body, taking his whole circulatory system with it. His whole body was alight with pain, but none so bad as which descended with crushing force upon his chest.

Zoro's vision was blacking out as he stared at Luffy's face hovering over his own. The boy was screaming something at him, but for some reason, Zoro couldn't hear him.

VVOOOVV

"So, can I have the name of my opponent, or should I just call you 'Spike'?" Sanji asked as he removed his jacket. He meticulously folded the garment before setting it aside and moving into a set of light stretches.

"Akima." The bulky man muttered gruffly after a moment's deliberation.

Sanji finished trying to get the water out of his shoes and straightened, his face showing that aloofness it always carried before a fight. The blonde's eyes were following Vivi overtly, however, as the blue-haired girl turned to face two men who had emerged from the brush, drawn by Akima's whistle. Sanji's gaze switched back to his opponent, a haughty smirk ghosting across his face.

"Well, Aki, I'm afraid today just isn't your lucky day."

His opponent answered with a barreling charge, his meaty fists flying out towards the cook with surprising swiftness and agility. Sanji easily sidesteps the potential blows, before swooping down with an attack of his own. A soggy size twelve hurtled towards the bigger man's head with the precision of an archer's shot.

It was to Sanji's shock that a muscular forearm blocked his kick as effortlessly as a flailing branch. It was to the blonde's further astonishment when a spike covered fist slammed into his gut with bone-crushing force. Sanji was thrown back a couple of meters, his feet skidding a half-moon in the sand as he fought to keep his footing.

"Heh. Not bad…" Sanji clutched his bleeding stomach as his right eye closed in a wince. "…For a sea urchin!" The blonde dashed forward once more and flipped himself agilely onto his hands so he could throw the force of both of his feet in an attack.

Sanji smirked when he felt his kicks connect, until a boot the was not his own flashed across his vision carrying with it a deadly looking spike heading straight towards his face. The cook turned his side kick into a leg press, hastily shoving his enemy away. But the sand below his hands wasn't solid enough to give him the necessary force to his attack and he heard more than felt his flesh tear as Akima's foot spike dug a long scratch across Sanji's scalp.

Stumbling upright, Sanji did his best to glare through the stream of blood running down his face. The cook grew angry under his opponent's impassive stare and he swung his leg in a sweeping upward motion that would connect which his aggressor's jaw and hopefully snap his neck, if Sanji was lucky. Arching himself in a back flip that would give his assault more momentum, Sanji unknowingly left himself open for attack.

Akima had ducked under Sanji's kick, dropping into a planned fall that allowed the spike on his elbow to drag down the blonde's unprotected back. Sanji screamed and hit the sand face down as pain raked up the pirate's spine. Sanji cursed his own foolishness as he waited for the final blow.

Sanji's head popped up when no more blows followed. Confused, the blonde quickly curled his legs beneath him and rose into a defensive crouch. His opponent stood a meter or so away, his arms crossed over his chest as if he were waiting for something.

"What's the deal, old man?" Sanji burst out angrily as he jumped to his feet. Being shown mercy was the same thing as being called weak in Sanji's book.

"Attacking someone when their down is not my way." The bigger man stated simply.

"What?" Sanji was stunned. What was even a speck of honor doing among these thugs? "Then why the hell are you working for that creep Uragi?" the cook asked.

"Uragi has a plan to get off this island. I follow him with the hope that I might one day get to see my daughter again."

Sanji could only stare at the other man blankly. _Daughter_? The blonde shook his head. He supposed the bad guys had to have families too. That didn't change their situation any. But that didn't make the cook feel any better about leaving the planet with one more orphan.

Thinking of families made Sanji unconsciously glance over his shoulder. The Going Merry was creeping closer to shore. Without the cannon-fire, the occupants had no idea that the fighting was still going on. If someone didn't warn them, the others will land themselves headlong into this battle.

Wait.

Sanji could have kicked himself. Swiveling his head back so swiftly that his neck cracked, the blonde's scouring eyes caught sight of Vivi fighting wildly among a circle of four men. Even with the numbers against her, the princess seemed to be holding her own and Sanji guessed that her battle wouldn't last much longer unless more men arrived.

And Sanji was going to make sure that didn't happen.

The cook flung himself into a powerful jump, swinging himself sideways in a gravity-defying crouch onto an astonished Akima's chest. Sanji's hand darted out, grasping the thin chain hanging from the older man's neck. Sanji's strong legs pushed off, sending him flying backwards to land just at the line of surf.

Sanji dangled Akima's whistle tauntingly. "Don't mind if I borrow this, right?" Sanji hurled the noisemaker over his shoulder and into the sea. "Oops. Dropped it."

Akima's face darkened only slightly as the impassive man leaned forward into a fighting position. Sanji grinned wildly.

"Come get me, you hedgehog!"

Uragi's henchman dashed forward, his spiked elbows pointed forward like the horns of a charging bull. As the man came close, Sanji threw himself backward into the surf; his legs curling upwards like a gear that propelled his enemy over him. Akima flew across the air and splashed into the ocean a couple of meters from shore.

"Vivi!" Sanji struggled quickly to his feet. "The cannon!" he called out.

"What?" Vivi called back distractedly.

"Shoot at the ship!"

Now that got her attention.

"_What_!"

VVOOOVV

"Zoro!"

Luffy crouched over his partner, feeling powerless as the swordsman arced backwards in pain. Zoro's breaths were coming out in sharp, irregular gasps as sweat tinted the color of blood streamed down his face. The Straw Hat Captain was watching his friend die, and he couldn't do a damn thing about it.

"Zoro…damn it…."

"You…." Luffy's head raised up, his dark eyes locking onto Uragi. Rage curled the rubber boy's lip up in a vicious snarl.

Like lightning, the boy was suddenly in movement, dashing towards the smirking bounty hunter with fist's pulled back to strike. Sandal clad feet slapped against the wooden floor with enough force that Uragi could feel the tremors beneath him. An animalistic roar reverberated across the open air, followed by two flying sets of knuckles aimed straight for Uragi's face.

"Gomu Gomu no Gatling Gun!"

Like pistons, Luffy's fists plowed forward and were pulled back, creating a devastating attack that could crush solid rock. But even his Devil's Fruit power was no match for Uragi's own when the bounty hunter simply vanished under the oncoming assault. The enemy melted into a black puddle and slithered away like a liquid snake.

"Damn it! Fight me, you bastard!" Luffy cried out as he sent his fist crashing into the liquefied entity. The black ooze merely flowed around the rubber boy's hands, however, and continued on its way across the floor.

"What's the point, Straw Hat?" Uragi's disembodied voice floated out. "Where does it all end? Until I kill you, or I end up dead? In the end, neither will save your swordsman."

Luffy glanced back helplessly at his fallen friend. Zoro had stopped struggling and now lay limply atop the warehouse floor. His heart wrenched painfully at the thought of losing Zoro and, without thinking about the consequences, the dark-haired boy quickly called out to his opponent.

"Uragi! Give him the cure!" Luffy demanded, his voice cracking.

"And why should I do that? Roronoa has caused me nothing but trouble, after all." Uragi sung mockingly as he reformed in the safety of the shadows.

"You want my bounty right? Well you can have it! Just cure him!" Luffy's fists clenched, driving his fingers deep into the wound on his right hand.

Uragi stepped forward, his reptilian eyes gleaming. "You mean you would trade—?"

"My head for Zoro's life. And the promise to leave him and the rest of my crew alone. Do you accept?"

"Roronoa will try to kill me as soon as he is able to stand."

Luffy gave a malicious grin. "So? You're good at running away."

Uragi smirked in turn. "Touché."

Staring the Straw Hat Captain down as if gauging his sincerity, Uragi's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. The longhaired man raised his hand, sending a tendril of black liquid slithering across the floor to stop at Luffy's feet. The ooze moved and shivered like something alive.

"Extend your wounded hand, then. And we shall seal the pact."

"The antidote first, Uragi." Luffy's face could have been etched in stone. Sighing, Uragi pulled out the bright vial of liquid and lobbed it carefully across the room, where it hit the floor at a roll. With amazing accuracy, the vial slowed and then stopped a mere hairsbreadth from Zoro's twitching hand.

"Now. Your hand, if you please."

Wordlessly, Luffy lifted up his bleeding palm, letting it hover about Uragi's dark pool of poison. A tense moment passed where nothing moved—the very air seemed to still. Luffy couldn't hear the crickets chirping outside, or the bullfrogs, or Uragi's words as the man's lips lifted up in an evil smirk. If he had heard, he would have been very angry indeed.

"I'm afraid we never agreed to leave you alive long enough to give Roronoa the antidote. Pity."

Like a living entity, Uragi's poison shot up from the floor and impaled into Luffy's hand like a liquid spear. Luffy jerked backwards in pain as a burning inferno ignited through his veins and seizing his spine in a paralyzing grip. The rubber boy shuddered violently and his eyes rolled back into his head.

"You god damn idiot!" Someone screamed from far away.

VVOOOVV

Zoro's heart was racing as if he had run a marathon. His body felt soaked with sweat and his muscles felt as though they had turned to jelly. But the all-encompassing pain in his chest was gone. The spell had passed leaving Zoro—for the moment—alive.

But for how much longer?

Panting, the swordsman struggled to sit up and found that he just didn't have the energy. Ever the stubborn one, Zoro twitched and fidgeted until he had rolled over onto his stomach. The movement left him dizzy and out of breath.

Zoro blinked uncomprehendingly. There, right before his eyes, nearly touching his nose, was Uragi's antidote vial. Was he hallucinating? Did Luffy beat Uragi in such a short amount of time? What the hell was going on?

Focusing was a problem at this point, but the green-haired man squinted at the area out of his immediate range, scouring the shadows for some clue as to their current situation. Gray light gave the interior of the warehouse a hazy and somewhat surreal appearance, so much that—when Zoro caught sight of Luffy—he was sure he was a figment of his imagination.

There was no way the real Luffy would so calmly extent his hand. His captain wouldn't so willingly let Uragi's poison shoot into his blood. There was no—

Zoro's eyes dropped once again down to the tiny vial of antidote, at the same moment that Luffy first stumbled backwards. A red haze of rage draped over Zoro's vision like a curtain and before he knew it he was screaming at the top of his lungs, the vial clutched in his fist.

"You god damned idiot!"

Luffy's eyes had rolled back into his head and he seemed to be struggling to take air into his lungs. Zoro watched helplessly as the first tremors of convulsions shook the dark-haired boy's thin body. Zoro knew, without a doubt, that his captain would be dead before his body had hit the floor.

Zoro wasn't sure how he had gotten up off the floor. He didn't know how he managed to cross the distance between himself and his captain so quickly. All he felt was the anger and his teeth ripping out a cork and his hand slamming against the rubber boy's forehead.

Zoro's charge did not halt when he reached his captain's side. He continued forward harshly, dragging Luffy down with him to slam with brutal force into the floor. The shock of the impact caused Luffy's mouth to drop open and Zoro hurriedly shoved the open vial inside, his palm still spread firmly across the dark-haired boy's face.

"Luffy…." Zoro said the name like both a curse and a prayer.

A bloody hand rose up and quickly smacked his hand away, causing the nearly empty antidote vial to skitter across the floor, amazingly without shattering. Two dark eyes glared up between Zoro's widespread fingers, lit by hell's own rage.

"What are you doing, idiot?" Luffy's snarl came out more like a cough as he struggled to his elbows weakly.

"Me?" Zoro had had enough. Grabbing onto his captain's shoulders, he slammed the boy back into the floor. "What the hell did you think you were trying to do? Do you want to die?" He screamed angrily into Luffy's face.

Luffy's expression had grown cold. "If I have to." He replied simply.

"What do you mean, 'if you have to'?" Zoro was too hurt and tired and emotionally drained to deal with these kinds of mind games. All he wanted to do was shake some sense into his stupid, stupid friend. Why the hell had Luffy even shown back up on this island in the first place? "There is no reason for you to even be here!" he snarled. "You can't become Pirate King if you're dead!"

Luffy's bloodshot eyes glimmered softly as the younger boy forced a sad smile onto his face.

"I can't do it without Zoro, either."

Any biting reply Zoro had prepared stuck in his throat. "You…" Zoro bowed his head, not willing to show the span of emotions crossing his face. If he had been one minute longer in coming back to his senses…. "Idiot." He muttered thickly.

A sixth sense tingled in Zoro's brain and he grabbed Luffy up and rolled them both a few meters of to the side just as a large stream of poison splatter onto the space they had just occupied. Luffy's breath caught as Zoro laid him back down; still recovering from the effects of Uragi's deadliest dose of poison. But he quickly flashed Zoro a smile and gave the swordsman a carefree 'thumbs up' gesture.

"Why is it that you fools don't understand how to die? I mean, really, should I draw you a diagram?"

Zoro's head raised slowly as his feral eyes latched onto his enemy. Uragi was pacing across the floor, clearly agitated and just a little bit nervous. It was Zoro's intention to make Uragi even more nervous by the time he was done with him. Much more nervous.

Zoro eyes wandered back to Luffy, who was staring up at him expectantly. Zoro smirked and flicked the rubber boy harshly on the forehead before reaching up and grasping the black cloth lying atop the boy's head. Pulling his bandanna from his captain's head, he slowly tied it over his own.

"Wait here." He muttered and Luffy broke out in a wide, but tired grin.

"Okay…" he mumbled as his eyelids drooped. "But just for a minute."

Zoro rose fluidly to his feet, with no trace of the weakness that had nearly incapacitated his body. Whether it was a miracle or just a dying man's last strength, Zoro didn't care. All he knew was that he wasn't going anywhere, hell or otherwise, until he saw that bastard bounty hunter dead.

In the span it took a normal man to blink, Zoro's swords were back in his hands. Heavily callused fingers raised Wadou to be clenched tightly between alabaster teeth. With his headband in place, Zoro one again took on the form of a demon.

And that demon had his sights set on shedding Uragi's blood. Drop by agonizing drop.

VVOOOVV


	18. Chapter 18

Loyalties  
By AstroKender  
Warnings: Swearing, Blood, Violence and Angst  
Notes: Close! So close to the end…can you feel it?  
Feedback: there is an annoying button at the bottom of the screen that, like Uragi, is just begging to be punched...  
Disclaimers: One Piece belongs to Eichiro Oda, 4kids and various other affiliates. I don't own em, I don't make money off em, I just play with them.

Chapter 18

Akima erupted from the water, enclosing Sanji's slight form from behind in a crushing bear hug. Sanji winced as tiny studs from the man's breastplate imbedded into his back. In this position he had no way to counter attack, much less free himself. Akima's grip tightened and Sanji heard his own ribs creaking in protest.

A thunderous boom sounded and something black hurtled passed his vision, so close that the resulting whoosh of air ruffled his even his ocean dampened locks. The arms holding his captive loosened in momentary shock and Sanji swiftly slipped beneath them before rotating his body into a vicious sideswipe that punted his enemy back towards shore.

"What the hell was that about?" Sanji screamed back at Vivi, who was hiding her hands behind her back like a kid who had been caught doing something naughty. "You almost hit me!" The blonde eyes were round and white and scary.

Vivi scooted away from the smoking cannon guiltily. "I'm not very good at firing these things, so it would seem." She gave Sanji a nervous smile. "But it looks like the ship isn't getting any closer, so it all worked out for the best, right?"

Sanji's mouth opened to tell her --politely of course—that beautiful princess of no, she had no right to so carelessly almost take his head off. Of course at this time, Uragi's henchmen saw fit to interrupt with a spiky fist aimed straight at the blonde's face. Growling, the cook swiftly ducked before bringing his knee to bear in an ungentlemanly attack that sent his opponent's hands clutching his privates with a muffled groan.

"I'm _trying_ to have a conversation here!" Sanji barked.

Reaching up, Akima's meaty fist curled around Sanji's thin neck and lifted the blonde up off the ground. Sanji winced as he pried at the hand holding him; his blurring vision focused on his attacker's impassive face. A man Akima's size could snap his neck like a twig, so why…?

With a grunt, the larger man tossed Sanji aside like a broken doll. The cook hit the sand in a skidding tumble of rump over shoulder. Spitting out a mouth of sand, Sanji squinted through the grit in his eyes to see why his opponent had released him.

Akima yanked the sharp point of one of Vivi's peacock blades from his right bicep. The wound was small, but deep. But that couldn't have been the reason for the man's hesitation. Sanji snarled to himself. He wasn't feeling like this battle was on equal footing. If the man wanted off the island so badly, why wasn't he fighting seriously?

"We don't want to fight!" Vivi was calling out to their enemy, with the voice that will one day govern thousands of her people. "We are just here to retrieve our friends. They mean a lot to us and we can't leave this island without them!"

"It doesn't matter why you're here, missy." Akima grunted out in a gravely voice. "I have my orders. But if you tell your buddies out there to hand over the ship, I may be able to get away with not having to kill you."

"That ain't going to happen, Spiky." Sanji muttered as he picked himself off the ground. He dusted the sand off his shirt with the look of one knowing that there was laundry to be done later, if said shirt could even be salvaged. "But if you play nice, we might just find room for one more on our ship."

"Mister Sanji…" Vivi was surprised at the cook's sudden generosity. Especially towards someone he had just been trying to kill, and vise versa.

Akima actually looked undecided for a moment. "I can't." The short-haired man mumbled. "I gave my word to Mr. Uragi."

"A bastard like him doesn't need your promises." Sanji snarled. "Why are you working under that sleaze? Even I can tell you have more honor in your little pinkie than that prick."

"That _prick_ saved my life!" Akima shouted. "I would have been dragged to the bottom of the sea along with that accursed Marine ship if it wasn't for him!"

"You…" Sanji's eyes widened. "You were one of the prisoners…when the storm hit."

Uragi's henchman nodded and kicked the sand off his boots angrily. "Even without the storm, I was sentenced to die anyway. Uragi freed me from that fate and gave me back hope. Hope that I would see my Emiri again."

Vivi had crept closer to the two men, becoming absorbed in the story despite herself. "What did you do?"

"What?" Akima grunted as he glanced at her, before hurriedly shifting his eyes away.

"To be imprisoned. What did you do?"

"Do? I took revenge." Akima's eyes darkened. "I took revenge on my daughter's fiancé. I killed him with my bare hands." The man's whole posture seemed to change-- seeming bigger, stronger, deadlier. "He raped my little girl and, by god, I made sure he was dead." The fighter clenched his fist with remembered rage.

Sanji and Vivi could only stand there in stunned silence. They were no strangers to heartache, but neither could imagine being in the man's shoes. Each wondered to themselves exactly how far they would go in the name of a loved one. By they strained look appearing on their faces, neither of them liked the answer very much.

After a minute, Akima had composed himself and turned towards Vivi, a sad smile on his blocky face. "I would say she's just a bit older than you missy." The older man's eyes grew distant. "I wonder what she's doing now. She thinks I'm dead, I'm sure. I wonder if she's doing all right?"

"I'm sure she's fine, old man." Sanji muttered, wishing he had a cigarette…or some whiskey. Tales like that go down easier with a few drinks. "Stop the whirling hedgehog routine and I promise you'll be on your way to find her again. With a few hot meals in you, to boot."

Akima's face was rigid and filled with stubbornness. "I have a debt to repay. A real man always repays his debts."

"And do real men attack try to kill innocent people?" Sanji yelled, jumping up into the taller man's face. "Do real men sneak around in the shadows, obeying their master's commands? Do they hide an entire armory from the whole damn island? Is that a 'real man'?"

Akima turned his head away, suddenly mute. Growling, Sanji shoved his sleeves up, raising his fists in an exaggerated display that was incongruous with his normal character. The blond struck a defensive pose, rubbing his nose casually with the back of his thumb.

"You wanna fight like men? Fine, I'm game. And, if you win, you and your creep boss can have the Going Merry."

"Sanji!" Vivi gasped in horror.

"But if you lose," Sanji continue calmly. "You've got to give up your 'debt' and come with us."

Akima stared at Sanji silently for a moment, before raising two heavily spiked fists. "It's a deal."

VVOOOVV

Aboard the Going Merry, Usopp felt an involuntary shiver run up his spine. His eyes darted about suspiciously as he clutched a ratty blanket closer around his shoulders. Something wasn't right.

"What's wrong?" Chopper asked, peeking his head into the barracks briefly. Nami had been running him ragged with shouted commands and strong 'suggestions'. (Read: obey me or I'll make your life a living hell.) Who knew it was this hard to run a ship? Only fear of Nami's fury kept the reindeer upright at all.

"I don't know." Usopp admitted as he squirmed to make himself more comfortable on their lumpy excuse for a couch. He ran his hand across the pink stained bandage around his thigh distractedly, ignoring the tiny flashes of pain it caused. "I just got a really bad feeling about something." The long nosed boy frowned deeply.

"Zoro and the others?" Chopper asked fearfully, his eyes wide.

Usopp shook his head.

"Nope. Us."

Outside, unnoticed by the others, a large drop of moisture had collected on the ship's wooden ram's head.

VVOOOVV

Carue was running for all he was worth. Jumping over tangled roots and gliding swiftly over algae covered waters, the brave duck never once paused as raced continually southwest, aiming for the patch of beach that his companions were supposed to lay anchor. By now his pulse was throbbing erratically in his brain and his lungs were screaming for more oxygen. But still, Carue didn't stop.

The faint sound of surf filtered into the spot-billed's ears, followed closely by the tangy smell of sea salt. He was close! With one last burst of speed, Carue burst through the last of the marshy foliage an out into the open air of the beach.

Now, anyone could tell you that webbed feet on sand does not make for good braking habits. Carue quickly illustrated this fact as his legs suddenly slipped out from underneath him, causing the misfortunate duck to skid headlong into the midst of a battle between a tobacco-addicted cook and a giant porcupine. It was to Carue's further misfortune that he happened to land on the aforementioned spike covered individual.

Carue shot straight in the air with a loud squawk/quack of pain. Spinning in frantic circle, the spot-billed duck frantically blew on his injured posterior to ease the pain. His remaining (conscious) audience watched in shock.

"Carue!" Vivi called out happily, quickly running up to wrap her arms around her feathered friend. "I was so worried! You shouldn't have gone off on you own like that!" The nagging was softened by the loving pats to his bill.

"Well, I suppose this makes things easier." Sanji commented lightly as he dragged his arms back into his jacket. "I think our friend here is out for the count." He gestured downwards.

Akima lay flat on his back, legs akimbo. Large swirls spun in slow circles in his eyes. Yup. This was definitely an instance of Duck: 1, Hedgehog: 0. Sanji supposed he ought to thank his web-footed comrade. But upon turning, he found the duck using his bill to pick up something from the sand. Something that hadn't been there before.

Luffy's hat.

Sanji's eyes widened. "Where's Luffy?" He demanded. "Is he all right?"

Carue gave out a few short quacks. The duck sounded urgent enough, but Sanji couldn't really speak duck, so he didn't know what the hell was going on. Frustrated, the blonde turned towards Vivi, with the hopes that she could translate.

"As near as I can tell, Luffy must have sent Carue back to get us." The princess explained after hearing a repeat of her friend's 'report'.

Sanji shifted, suddenly full of nervous energy. "That means he found Zoro."

Turning to Carue, the cook suddenly squatted down eye to eye with the brave hearted duck. "Are they at the warehouse?" Carue nodded and Sanji shot to his feet. "Which way?"

Carue lifted one wing, pointing to the tangle of brush he had emerged from. Sanji braced himself for a long sprint, when a gnarled hand came up and clutched his ankle.

"Wait…" Akima gasped weakly. "There is…a short cut."

Apparently even Uragi's strongest thug was no match for Alabasta's number one warrior duck. Sanji raised one curled eyebrow, his mouth twitching with the effort to keep a straight face.

"The path…through those trees…it'll lead you…." Akima pointed a little to the left of spot Carue had indicted. His hand dropped, and the older man fell back into unconsciousness, a small line of drool slipping down his chin.

"Who would have thought such a strong man would fall so easily." Vivi wondered aloud. Sanji snorted. It definitely hadn't been easy for him. He winced as his wounds reminded him of this fact.

"I'm going on ahead." Sanji stated, his expression turning serious. "Carue, help Vivi get the old man onboard the ship."

Carue saluted and Sanji's gaze shifted to Vivi, whose face had become lined with worry. Sanji wanted to reassure the blue haired girl, but found himself without any more words of encouragement. Everything was hanging by a thread at this point. A very thin thread.

"And get Chopper." Sanji ordered reluctantly. "I have a feeling we're going to need him."

And then he was off and running.

VVOOOVV

"Uragi…" the name was nearly an unintelligible growl between teeth and leather and metal.

For the first time in their battles, Uragi took a defensive posture as his eye darted about, confirming all possible escape routes. But Zoro wasn't about to let him run away this time. Gone was the half-dead pirate that he had traded blows with before. In his place was the man that he first caught a hint of, back on that first night at the bar. The man that Uragi had so feared, that he had poisoned him by pure reflex. There was death in Roronoa Zoro's eyes, and not the pirate's own. Uragi saw this and took a careful step backwards.

"Now, Roronoa. This will hardly be a fair fight." Uragi protested with a strained smile. "I have no weapons left, you see." He extended his empty hands. "Not much of a challenge, I'm afraid."

Zoro's silent advance continued. Panicked now, Uragi dissolved, hoping to slide around his opponent and make for the exit. Gliding silently between the swordsman's legs, Uragi headed for the door, almost able to smell his freedom.

A bright flash of heat and light made the dark ooze that was the bounty hunter jerk backwards. The distraction was enough to break Uragi's concentration and he solidified once more, cursing at the wall of fire that now blocked his exit.

Zoro's arm lowered from where he had thrown one of the heavy oil lanterns at the door. Fire caused the swordsman's eyes to glitter beneath the heavy shadows formed by his bandanna. Yubashiri was quickly back in its proper hand and Zoro was once again moving towards his prey.

"Are you mad?" Uragi cried out in alarm as he hastily backed away from the flames. "We are in an armory, you fool! You'll blow us all to kingdom come!"

"So what's it gonna do, kill me?" Zoro somehow managed a wild grin behind Wadou's hilt.

"You pigheaded imbecile!" Like a cornered rat, Uragi turned and bared his fangs.

Everything waist down on Uragi liquefied and the bounty hunter used the pressure to hurtle him towards his pirate foe. Uragi now fought desperately, with no hint of his earlier savvy. With no weapons other than his Devil's Fruit ability, it was Uragi's intention to pump every ounce of toxin into Zoro's veins, until the swordsman was nothing more than a twitching mass of dying flesh.

Zoro's eyes narrowed as Uragi shot forward. He had to somehow defeat his enemy without ever coming in contact with him; for contact meant certain death. Zoro crouched low, his swords coming to bear, as he decided not to let Uragi have the first move. The green haired man darted forward with nearly inhumane speed, quickly meeting the bounty hunter in the very center of the warehouse.

Zoro's swords flashed out, a shining pinwheel of deadly blades aimed for Uragi's vitals. This had to be a quick kill, the longer it took the more chance that he wouldn't survive to get Luffy out of there alive. There was no reason to drag the rubber boy any more down into this mess. This was Zoro's fight.

But the swordsman's bladed passed harmlessly through Uragi's semi-solid body and –with a curse—Zoro leaped backwards as black tendrils flew out from the bounty hunter, aiming for the wounded and vulnerable parts of his flesh. And, damn it, Zoro had quite a few. But the pirate refused to back down completely and quickly dashed around to Uragi's side, his swords coming down with the force of a hammer on an anvil.

VVOOOVV

Luffy's head was buzzing pleasantly, like after the one time he had grabbed a mug of ale, thinking it was juice. His entire body was lit with a warm tingling sensation as if all his limbs had fallen asleep and he was just now feeling the pinpricks of blood flowing back into them. He was tired, he realized. And hungry. Luffy's mind wandered about in a fuzzy haze.

Luffy tiredly dragged his eyelids open. For some reason not clear to him at the moment, Luffy found his mind turning to Zoro. The swordsman would definitely still be asleep this early in the morning, so it wasn't as if he'd fix Luffy any food. Indeed, it would be a miracle if Zoro were down in the barracks with him at all, since the green haired man was often wont to falling asleep up on deck regardless of temperature or current weather predictions.

Wait.

They weren't on the ship. They had been fighting the grease guy. Zoro was dying, then he was dying, and then some sort of cool liquid had coursed down his throat, banking the fires of Uragi's toxin. Zoro had been standing before him, bare skin glowing, preparing to fight.

Something in Luffy's brain was screaming at him. For some reason the word 'fight' had jolted through his body like an electric current. Fight, fight…

'Fight?' Luffy bolted upright, his eyes wide. Shit! He had actually fallen asleep! In the middle of battle! What the hell was he thinking?

Luffy quickly bounced to his feet only to fall over with a muffled squeak. The way his legs were acting, you would think he had eaten the Jelly Fruit, not the Rubber Fruit. Grumbling, the dark haired boy stubbornly dragged his legs up underneath him once again, this time standing with a little more care.

The sounds of grunting and splashing caused the rubber boy to glance up. Zoro was fighting, swinging his swords in a blur of razor sharp metal. Luffy only guessed his opponent was still Uragi, as all he could see in brief flashes of dark liquid flying through the air and he was pretty sure there was no one else on the island who could turn into stuff like that.

Luffy cocked his head to the side in amusement. The way things looked, Zoro was just doing some sort of bizarre naked sword training techniques. Hee. Wouldn't the others have a fit if they saw? Luffy's tongue stuck out and his eyes crinkled up in amusement.

Wanting to share his little joke with his teammate, Luffy took a step forward, only to freeze as the tiny sound of breaking glass tinkled in his ear. Slowly the rubber boy lifted his foot, revealing a slender tube that now bore a narrow crack near the lip of the opening. The vial appeared empty save for one, sparkling drop of liquid.

'_Just one drop.'_ Chopper had said. _'Bring me back on drop and I can save him.'_

Their current circumstances slammed into Luffy's consciousness with almost brain damaging force. Zoro was still poisoned. Sure, he was out there fighting like he hadn't lost most of the blood in his body, but the reality of it was: Zoro could still die.

He would die, unless Luffy did something.

Frowning, the Straw-Hat Captain bent over, reaching down for the antidote vial with bloodstained fingers. Behind him, Zoro had just run out of room to fight.

VVOOOVV

Uragi dissolved again and Zoro growled. This was getting him nowhere. He needed a way, some way, to distract the bounty hunter. Uragi's concentration was weak, one slip up and Zoro would have him.

Zoro stared at the dimming fire at the doorway; the oil had quickly burnt up, leaving the fire with little fuel to continue blazing. The flames clung desperately to the wooden floorboards as they slowly spread outward a small centimeter at a time. Uragi had definitely been startled by the fire…. Zoro's eyes shifted to the broken crate of gunpowder lying a few meters away.

Uragi wasn't allowing him the time to think, however, and Zoro was quickly dodging long arms of poison as he jumped backwards in an attempt to temporarily retreat out of range. But Uragi wasn't giving up his advantage and pressed forward ruthlessly, causing Zoro to have to duck and dodge his toxic projectiles. Zoro's shoulders slammed into a stack of crates. Uragi grinned evilly at the knowledge that his opponent had unwittingly backed himself into a corner.

"Well, it has been fun." Uragi's teeth gleamed in the growing light sparkling in from the dusty windows. "But it's been quite a long night and, as you can understand, I'm quite tired. I believe it is high time to finish our little contest of wills."

Uragi's hand shot forward, slipping past the swordsman's blades to sit upon Zoro's bleeding cheek. Zoro seemed frozen, so Uragi indulged in a small caress against the green haired man's face.

"We would have made excellent partners."

Zoro's eyes flashed briefly to something over Uragi's shoulder and he grinned. "I already have a great partner." His grin widened and, before Uragi knew what was happening, a giant force was pulling him backward with deadly speed.

Zoro nodded to Luffy as he shot past, aiming for the fallen pile of crates Uragi had landed in. Uragi was even now struggling to his feet, a thousand curses on his lips. Wasting no time, Zoro charged in, his swords aloft.

Uragi screamed as the long blade of a katana stabbed through the flesh of his shoulder and pinned him to the crate he leaned upon. Closing his eyes, the bounty hunter quickly attempted to concentrate so he could free himself from both the sword and the pain. But the feeling of metal sliding suddenly through his chest caused Uragi's eyes to pop open in horror.

Uragi was now pinned down from both sides, and Zoro was fairly sure he wouldn't be transforming anytime soon. But he had made the mistake of underestimating this man before. He had no intention of repeating his mistake. Zoro knew of only on sure way to destroy his opponent once and for all.

"I don't suppose you'll leave?" Zoro called back over his shoulders, to the figure he could feel standing behind him.

He couldn't see it, but he could tell that the rubber boy had shaken his head. 'Stubborn idiot…' Zoro thought to himself fondly. Smirking ruefully, Zoro pulled Wadou slowly from his mouth.

"Luffy…." Zoro called back once more, his voice noticeably softer. "I'm sorry."

"You're not allowed to die, all right?" His captain ordered harshly. Zoro closed his eyes briefly as he gave a small smile his partner couldn't see.

"Heh. You too." He muttered.

Opening his eyes with a roar, Zoro's fist plowed into the crate behind Uragi's head, creating a gaping hole in the box's wooden surface. He pulled his hand out and black sand followed him, pouring out like a broken hourglass. Uragi's gunpowder.

Zoro stared into Uragi's pain filled eyes, his expression neutral. "Goodbye, Uragi."

Uragi's eyes widened with terror as Zoro took Wadou and scraped it harshly sideways across one of the katanas imbedded in the bounty hunters flesh. Sparks flew out in all directions, most notably onto the still spilling gunpowder. Uragi's vision focused on his attackers dark, impassive face. To go to such lengths---

With a hiss and a booming crack that seemed to rip the heavens themselves apart, Uragi's world exploded.

VVOOOVV

Sanji stumbled into the open marsh just as the warehouse exploded. Sanji stared. Stared at the fiery debris falling into the water with small hissing noises. Stared as the charred supports of the warehouse collapsed, sending the entire structure into the swamp. Sanji stared at what could only be the grave of two of his companions.

Sanji's fists clenched sporadically as he sunk numbly to his knees. Only one thing circled through his head to drop from the cook's mouth like falling tears.

"I was too late."

VVOOOVV


	19. Chapter 19

Loyalties  
By AstroKender  
Warnings: Swearing, Blood, Violence, Angst, and incredible amounts of gooey sap.  
Notes: Ugh, with these last few chapters it's been so hard to keep it as a general fanfic, and not let my hentai shonen ai thoughts slip in. But hey, that's what sidefics are for, right? grins evilly Yes, I have much to plan after this. Just one chapter left after this, to be written and posted soon, I hope! Please enjoy.  
Feedback: there is an annoying button at the bottom of the screen that, like Uragi, is just begging to be punched...  
Disclaimers: One Piece belongs to Eichiro Oda, 4kids and various other affiliates. I don't own em, I don't make money off em, I just play with them.

Chapter 19

Luffy stumbled clumsily onto the soggy patch of grass, nearly tripping himself as he struggled to lift one foot and then the other up the slippery bank at the marsh's edge. Safe from the swamp's swallowing clutches; the dark-haired boy collapsed face first into the ground, pulling something large and heavy atop him. Luffy lay there for a long moment --nose pressed against the dew-coated grass-- just struggling to remember what it felt like to allow air into his lungs.

The weight pressing him slowly deeper into the mud reminded him that this was no time to be resting. Like a landed fish, Luffy quickly squirmed around in place, twisting his body so that he was facing his unmoving burden. His red-rimmed eyes scanned the form with anxiously. His cold and water-wrinkled hands trembled as they lifted to lie against a certain figure's cheeks. Blood trickled down in transparent sheets from the Rubber boy's arms, watered down from his recent immersion in the dark waters of the swamp.

Luffy's brow lifted somewhat as he glanced at the hard obstruction enclosing around his right forefinger. He hadn't lost it, and it hadn't broke. Now, if only…

The forehead lying against his own was cool and wet, the body pressed against his still and unmoving. Luffy had no idea of the proper method of checking for a pulse, or of how to return air to a non-breathing victim. He didn't know how to return blood to a body that has been long drained to its limits, or how to purge the toxins invading a body already weakened by battle.

But Luffy knew this: Zoro wasn't going to die. He had forbid it, using _that_ voice.

Zoro always followed his captain's orders. Especially when he used The Voice.

Still, a tendril of worry slithered around the rubber-boy's heart. The last few minutes of battle had been a pain-filled blur. He remembered yanking Zoro back just as the explosion took them. He had stretched his body around the swordsman, wrapping around him like a rubber blanket as the fire swept across them. The force of the blast had mercilessly hurtled them though the warehouse walls and into the frigid waters below, where Luffy's body sank like a stone, carrying the green-haired man, who was unconscious --or dead-- judging by the lack of struggle, with him.

No trees existed on this island strong enough to pull the two from the swamps murky depths. No anchor lay conveniently about for the Luffy's rubbery limbs to grab hold of. Cold, wet darkness surrounded him, blinding him, deafening him. The body in his arms threatened to slip from his grasp at every movement. His lungs were already burning for oxygen.

But the Straw Hat Captain fought on, being responsible not only for his own life, but that of his crewmate. He refused to give up. A swamp was not the ocean. Luffy could still move, even if he could not swim. Plugging both his and his mate's noses, Luffy walked—_walked_—along the swamp floor, taking them both closer towards the surface with each strained and shallow step. It was a testament to the underlying willpower that was the backbone of Luffy's strength that they had even emerged from the swamp's opaque depths.

But --all the pain and struggling—was it enough? Was his loyalty to his friend going to be enough to save him? Can willpower and sheer stubbornness stave off Death itself? Luffy unwillingly found a tight knot of panic wrapping around his insides. In all his life, only one man had meant as much to him as the one who lay before him. And right now, he would give up a thousand straw hats if it would make this one person better.

"Hey Zoro, come on, wake up." Luffy whispered. No reply came and the dark-haired boy found himself biting his lip painfully, as his eyes began to sting. Things weren't supposed to end this way…. God, why wouldn't Zoro just open his eyes and _look_ at him?

"All right, all right, I'm up." A scratchy voice mumbled. "Stop pulling on my cheeks."

Two bruised lids lifted slowly, revealing a stern gaze belonging to no one else but Luffy's first mate.

"They don't exactly stretch like yours, you know."

"Zoro!"

Luffy's voice was nearly inaudible from the charring effects of the warehouse's explosion. That explosion had really knocked him a good one. His head hurt like crazy and there was this irritating ringing going on in his ears. The rubber-boy suspected that if he didn't get help for Zoro soon, it would be the first mate carrying _him_ back to the ship. But right now, in this instant, none of that seemed to matter.

Staring down at his burnt and singed partner, Zoro frowned. Their faces were only centimeters apart, mostly due to the fact that Zoro didn't have the strength to move off his captain even if he wanted to. But, regardless, it was easy to see the clear tracks of liquid sliding down from Luffy's eyes into his hairline.

"Are you crying?"

Shaking his head furiously, Luffy broke out into a smile so wide it made his face ache. Though, right now, just about anything he did made his body hurt. Zoro's frown lessened and he gave a short nod as he looked away awkwardly.

"Good."

Luffy nodded in return, respectively failing to mention the handful of salty tasting drops that had splashed onto his face. After all, real men don't lay around and cry on each other like babies, did they? And definitely not pirates. Uh uh. No way. An irrational swell of happiness bubbled through Luffy and his grin widened still further as he wrapped his rubbery limbs around his companion in a binding hug that had Zoro moaning in pain.

"_Easy_, damn it!" he hissed, gracing his captain with a scowl that was largely ignored by the other boy, judging on how Luffy's arms tightened further.

"Should I give you two a few minutes?"

Zoro's head snapped up and he reached down to his sides for swords that were not there. In fact, nothing was there, his brain hastily reminded himself. Except for his soggy bandanna, the swordsman wasn't wearing a stitch of clothing. And here he was sprawled over his captain with Luffy's arms and legs wrapped around him in a position that could definitely be misconstrued.

No wonder Sanji's face looked so red.

"Sanji!" Luffy crowed, his rubbery tentacles loosening from his unwilling captive. "Did you bring meat?"

Sanji huffed and turned his back to them, trying to hide his embarrassment. "It seems as though you've had plenty, though I have to question both your timing and location."

"Get your mind out of the gutter, you stinking pervert." Zoro muttered as he painstakingly rolled off of Luffy. If possible, the blonde's face turned an even deeper shade of crimson. Slipping his jacket off, Sanji threw it in the swordsman's direction, whacking him rudely in the face.

"Cover yourself up, bastard, there are ladies coming!"

Sanji's hands seemed to be shaking as he straightened his tie. That one visible eye seemed just a bit more shiny than usual as he glared down at them. And a slight tick had developed on the right side of the blonde's cheek, as if he were fighting off a smile. Zoro blinked dazedly. Either he was hallucinating, or the shitty cook really was relieved to see them. The mere thought gave him the shivers. Maybe he had already died….

"Nami's coming?" Luffy asked impatiently. "Chopper too?"

Sanji had the grace to look embarrassed. "Well, I don't know actually. I sent Carue to fetch them, but we may end up having to meet them halfway or something." Sanji bristled under Zoro's incredulous stare. "What? I was a bit rushed, okay?" He promptly gave the swordsman the finger, proving that all was indeed right with the world. Zoro allowed his head to drop back onto the ground.

"Shit." he muttered tiredly. "Just when I thought I'd finally get some rest. If it's between dying and having that bitch harping at me…I'd rather die."

"No." Zoro was startled by the firm voice from his right. Luffy's head turned towards him, his eyes serious. "You said you wouldn't." the dark-haired boy accused.

Zoro stared into his captain's unblinking eyes. Here he was, supposedly the up and coming strongest swordsman in the world, and had let the rubber boy save him yet once again. This was seriously becoming an irritating habit. He definitely needed to up his training regimen. Looking into Luffy's dark eyes, Zoro felt his irritation melting away. After all, the swordsman sighed, he supposed he _did_ owe him. One little promise couldn't hurt anything.

"All right." Zoro grumbled reluctantly. "From this point forward, no dying unless you say I can."

"Then Zoro will live forever." Luffy stated firmly. Smiling in satisfaction, the rubber boy closed his eyes, wanting nothing more than to pass out. But a stray ray of light struck him in the eye and he found himself turning his head east in confusion.

The sun was rising.

"Ahh! Shit! The poison!" Luffy exclaimed, bolting upright.

"What?" Sanji shouted, his eyes bugging outward. "Didn't you get the antidote?"

Luffy held up his hand, where a small glass vial was firmly stuck onto his forefinger. "It's right here, but there's not enough!" He waggled his hand for emphasis.

Indeed, only one lonely drop sparkled against the glass bottom, rolling about precariously with the rubber-boy's gyrations. Sanji began to panic. "Stop that!" he ordered. "We need to get to Chopper, quick!" He dropped down to his knees in order to haul Zoro to his feet. But one glance at his comrade stopped the cook cold.

Zoro lay on the wet grass unmoving, his eyes closed against the growing rays of the sun. A peaceful smile curled around his mouth, making him seem much like a fallen statue, frozen in eternity of repose. The swordsman seemed very, very still.

A lump formed in Sanji's throat. "You god damn idiot." He whispered.

"Zoro!" Luffy cried out as he threw himself atop his first mate's body. "You can't die! You promised!"

"Maybe it's not too late," Sanji said desperately. "If we get him to Chopper, maybe—"

"Will you two just shut the hell up?" Zoro growled softly. "I'm trying to enjoy the moment here."

Both Luffy and Sanji fell over in shock.

"You're not dead!" Luffy accused.

"Of course I'm not." Zoro opened one eye irritably.

"But, the poison…." Sanji reminded him.

"Idiots." Zoro huffed. He reluctantly opened both eyes to stare up at his companions. "You think I survived this whole ordeal just to kill off the second you two look away?" Seeing his friend's uncomprehending stares, the swordsman sighed. "I feel like shit, but I'm fairly sure I can last a bit longer. It's been a rough night, so just freaking relax for a couple of minutes, okay? If you don't I swear I'll somehow find the strength to pummel you!" Zoro threatened.

Luffy's answering laugher echoed lightly across the clearing, like the tinkling of a bell. Looking around, he could understand his first mate's reasoning. The light of morning had transformed the hell that had been their battleground into an oasis of life. Each blade of grass seemed to be gleaming vibrantly. The gnarled and twisted trees revealed themselves to be the home of dozens of forms of wildlife. And the swamp that had nearly took their lives glisten like the calmest waters of the ocean.

'When you think about it, it was kind of nice to be alive', Luffy decided to himself. He grinned at his cook conspiratorially. Though it was even better to be alive with your friends with you. Alive too, of course.

"Bah." Sanji muttered as he plucked a twig from the ground and shoved it in his mouth, chewing at it irritably. He didn't know what he needed worse, a cigarette, or a good stiff drink. With a disgusted grunt, he pushed himself to his feet. "Picnics just aren't any fun without lovely ladies and food." He stated with a laziness he did not feel. "Let's go."

"Food!" Luffy bounced to his feet excitedly. Zoro made no move to join them.

The blonde stared down at his rival for a long moment, his expression veiled. A lot of thoughts were going through Sanji's head that the others were not privy to, nor would they ever be, as far as he was concerned. But one thing was for certain; these two idiots could never be counted on to take care of themselves.

Finally, the cook stretched out a single palm towards Zoro. "Do you need a hand?" he mumbled aloofly, as if he were asking about the weather.

"Hell no." Zoro growled, crossing his arms over his chest.

Sanji shrugged indifferently and lowered his hand. Zoro still did not move. The silence slowly began to fill with the awakening cries of the marsh birds as they rose from their nests in search of breakfast. The two stayed in their positions for several more moments as Luffy bounced impatiently around them. Sighing, Sanji had had enough.

"You can't walk, can you?" he demanded.

"Not a chance." Zoro replied matter-of-factly.

Sanji shook his head in disgust as he lead down and physically hauled the other man to his feet. Looping Zoro's arms around his thin shoulders, he hefted the larger man into an awkward sort of piggy pack that left Zoro's feet dragging the ground. Sanji grunted at the twinge of pain that ran up his injured back.

"I did not sign up to pack your lard ass around." The blonde griped. "When we get back to the ship, you are so on half rations."

"Like I'd eat your shitty cooking anyway." Zoro muttered, his eyelids slowly sinking. "Stupid Love Cook." Zoro's head dropped down abruptly onto the blonde's shoulder. Sanji inhaled a swift intake of breath, alarmed by his burden's sudden stillness. But a faint snore quickly reassured him that they hadn't lost their Cabbage Head yet.

"Oiy, Luffy," Sanji tried to glance backwards and failed. "Grab my jacket, will you?" he called back.

"Right!" Luffy answered and he limped over and crouched low to scoop up the discarded garment.

A small noise at the swamp's edge caused the dark haired boy to stiffen. Narrow eyes scoured the bank where he and Zoro had emerged, quickly searching for the source. Suddenly, the rubber-boy's fists clenched.

"Sanji." Luffy called out. "Take Zoro on up ahead. I'll catch up in a minute."

"But—" Sanji halted his protest swiftly, detecting that tone of his captain's voice that brooked no argument. The blonde sighed in resigned frustration as his eyes scoured the entrance to the path that had led him here. "Hurry up, will you? This bastard's heavy."

"Yeah." Luffy said noncommittally, as he rose to his feet and started forward with the slow, deliberate movements of a cat stalking an injured bird.

There, a couple of meters away, at the waters edge and partially hidden by the rushes, lay the bounty hunter Uragi.

Or what was left of him.

The harsh whine of labored breathing had alerted the pirate captain of their hidden foe. But now, looking down on him, Luffy seriously doubted the man was capable of further harm. Most of Uragi's hair and clothing had burned away—what hadn't had melted onto his blistered flesh. The bounty hunter was missing at least one limb; the others were still submerged into the swamp. Uragi stared up at him with one bloodshot eye; the other held nothing but an empty socket.

"…straw hat…" Uragi croaked.

Luffy stared down at him enemy impassively.

Uragi grinned out of a bloody and toothless mouth as he shifted his limited gaze to the ground before him. Following his gaze, Luffy noticed a thin line of black liquid extending from Uragi's cauterized stump of an arm. The trail of liquid ran up the bank and disappeared into the grass, in the exact direction that his two companions had gone.

'_You lose._' The bounty hunter mouthed, having lost the ability to speak with his charred vocal cords.

Luffy growled low in his throat and launched himself high into the air. A red haze seemed to cover his vision, but that didn't prevent him from taking careful aim at the speck of a figure below him. Mercy was a foreign concept at this point. Luffy was angry enough to kill.

"Gomu Gomu no Corkscrew!"

Luffy's legs extended down towards the ground in a narrow spiral barreling straight towards the fallen bounty hunter. The rubber-boy's sandaled feet locked around Uragi's head and, with an animalistic roar, Luffy's legs unwound.

The dark-haired boy landed back on solid ground at the exact moment that Uragi's head dropped into the dark waters of the swamp with a sickening plop.

Luffy stared down at Uragi's decapitated body emotionlessly. Perhaps he would regret he decision later, but right now nothing filled the boy's head but a deep sense of satisfaction marred only by the sharp piercing of worry for his friends. Turning on his heels, Luffy ran off without glancing back.

He found Sanji a couple of long minutes later, sitting shirtless on a rotting stump. A wave of relief washed over him, leaving him suddenly weak. The blonde shot a glare at him as he saw the rubber-boy skidding into view.

"What took you so long?" the cook demanded.

Luffy smiled nervously. "Uh…I had trouble finding your jacket." He replied as he tossed the said garment to his comrade.

Sanji raised one curly eyebrow dubiously but declined to comment as he swiftly slipped his arms through his jacket. Zoro lay at the cook's feet, Sanji's dress shirt tied awkwardly around his waist. Sanji vowed to himself to burn it later.

"Is Zoro okay?" Luffy peered at his first mate nervously. Had Uragi's poison reached them after all?

"Do you know what it's like to try to walk with this idiot's 'sword' poking you in the back?" Sanji asked rhetorically.

"No." Luffy stated innocently, wondering what that had to do with Zoro's well being. "Is it hard?"

Sanji, taking Luffy's question in an entirely different way, nearly choked on his own tongue. "Never mind!" he growled out, his face red. "Are we ready?"

Luffy shifted awkwardly.

"What?" Sanji's brow rose.

"Sanji," Luffy voice was unusually meek. "Are you hurt badly?" his finger lifted, indicating the numerous cuts across the blonde's stomach and back.

"Me?" Sanji asked with a bit of surprise. He shrugged. "Nah, its just some scratches."

"Good." Luffy smiled in relief. "Then you won't mind carrying us both. I'm beat."

With that, the Straw Hat Captain promptly passed out.

VVOOOVV


	20. Chapter 20 End

Loyalties  
By AstroKender  
Warnings: We're down to just angst, a bit 'o' language, and entire forests full of sap.  
Notes: Wow, For some reason I never thought this fic would actually end. I hope everyone enjoys the ending. I really want to thank everyone who has taken the time to review this --especially you people who keep coming back chapter after chapter leaving your praise-- I really wouldn't have been able to finish this fic so quickly without your wonderful comments and encouragement. This last chapter is dedicated to those faithful readers (you know who you are) and with it the promise that this shall _not_ be the End. A sidefic is already in the works, meant to explain a little of what was left out in this chapter, in the addition to finally shoving in some liberal doses of shonen ai (I've been going crazy here!) Thanks again for reading folks, I hope I continue to not disappoint.  
Feedback: there is an annoying button at the bottom of the screen that, like Uragi, is just begging to be punched...  
Disclaimers: One Piece belongs to Eichiro Oda, 4kids and various other affiliates. I don't own em, I don't make money off em, I just play with them.

Chapter 20

Zoro regained consciousness long before he found the strength to open his eyes. Every muscle in his body felt as though it was weighed down with lead. He felt numb, with his thoughts trailing along sluggishly as he fought to determine the whos, wheres and whys that always followed an awakening from the unnatural sleep of unconsciousness. He could feel himself rocking slightly, tilting to the left before shifting back and rolling to the right.

He must be on the Going Merry and, by the feel of it, they had already set sail from Black Feather. Zoro forced a deep lung-full of air into his chest and let it out, slowly. Bracing himself for reasons he couldn't quite understand, Zoro opened his eyes.

The first sight Zoro saw upon awakening was of one certain redheaded navigator, sitting on a low divan near to where he lay. Nami was staring down at him from over top her newspaper, her expression shocked. Apparently, his waking had not been expected. Damn, why didn't they just roll him up in a shroud and toss him off the ship? Nami, brown eyes still wide with amazement, opened her mouth to speak. Eye twitching, Zoro hastily slammed his eyes shut, deciding that consciousness wasn't worth it. Who wanted to be lucid before that face?

Nami's voice filtered into his ears like the far away buzzing of bees. Zoro didn't understand the context of the speech, but from the tone it was clear she probably wasn't talking to him. Good. Maybe he could get a little more sleep. And hopefully, by the next time he woke up, the harpy would have moved on.

Feeling a series of pokes and prods, Zoro winced. Damn, that hurt! The warm numbness that had encompassed him drifted away, revealing the stark reality of pain that was likened to jumping off the Going Merry's crow's nest and in the frigid saltwater of the Grand Line. Oh. And then letting the wooden caravel run him over for good measure. Man, he must have really worked himself over good this time. His body felt like one giant bruise. Even his hair hurt.

'What in the world happened?' Zoro wondered irritably. While pain was nothing new to the swordsman, for some reason he was having trouble remembering what exactly he had done to get him into his current situation. His memories were hazy and as out of reach as the possibility of returning to the blissful darkness of sleep. With a heavy sigh --that made him wince and instantly regret the motion-- Zoro reopened his eyes.

A fuzzy image of a face swam into focus. A spot of blue appeared -like one got staring to long at the sun—and floated before him in a sea of brown. It took a full minute before Zoro's mind registered that it was the face itself, not his vision, that was fuzzy and that the blue speck before him was none other than Chopper's nose. Zoro stared the little reindeer directly in the eyes, at a loss for how to start any proper sort of dialogue.

Turn's out, that didn't matter.

Chopper squealed at him in what Zoro presumed was delight, though the swordsman had to wince at the proximity to his ears, which were, before that, the only parts of his body that didn't hurt.

"You're right!" Chopper was shouting excitedly. "He's awake! He's really awake!"

Zoro was seriously beginning to regret that fact. And he was also wondering why --if people were so excited to see him-- they were treating him as if he wasn't even in the room.

After a couple more hasty pokes at the scattered swaths of bandages enveloping him the reindeer finally addressed him, shooting out a rapid fire of questioning that Zoro couldn't even begin to keep up with, much less answer. Seeing his patient's confusion, Chopper mercifully stepped back. Zoro held his breath, wondering with no small bit of dread what new tort--tests the diminutive doctor had in store for him. To his complete surprise the reindeer simply burst into tears.

What the hell?

Nami quickly leaned down and wrapped her arms around their furry companion, consoling Chopper for whatever reason he needed consoling. Hard ass Nami, who only had anything sweet to say when she wanted something, was whispering soothing sounding words into the doctor's top hat enclosed ears. Choppers wailing quickly died down into sniffles.

"I'm so happy…." Chopper was saying. "I thought, I thought…"

"Shhhh." Zoro heard Nami coo. "You did great, Tony. You're a wonderful doctor; we knew you would help him pull through. I'm proud of you, we all are."

Was it Zoro's imagination, or did Nami's eyes have a bit of moisture clinging to the corners? Had she actually been worried about him? The lumbering swordsman who was about as useful as a hundred and seventy eight centimeter paperweight? Before he knew it, the green-haired man found his face stinging from the force of his own slap. Chopper and Nami quickly turned to stare at him in shock and Zoro's hand wearily scrubbed across his face.

"I could have sworn this was a nightmare…" he muttered sourly, with a voice that --to his embarrassment-- cracked and broke at every second syllable.

"Chopper, why don't you go up to the kitchen and have Sanji make some soup for Zoro." Nami suggested lightly. "You'll probably want to tell the others the good news as well, right?."

Chopper nodded frantically and quickly skittered out of the room as fast as his stunted little legs could carry him. When he had left, Nami turned a judging eye towards Zoro. Zoro stared back suspiciously as he imagined the well-oiled gears turning in the navigator's head.

"How do you feel?" That certainly wasn't the question he was expecting. Hell, Zoro really didn't know what to expect at this point, but yet more evidence of concern from the cunning redhead was last on his list. Perhaps she was really one of Usopp's aliens….

"I'm fine." Zoro insisted stubbornly as he discreetly searched for green antennae.

"Ah." There was a slight pause. "That's good."

A strained silence ensued.

"Do you remember what happened?" Nami asked after a long and awkward moment. Her dark eyes watched his facial expressions like a hawk.

"Partly." Zoro grumbled halfheartedly. "A lot of it's still fuzzy, like a dream."

"Sanji carried you and Luffy to the ship after the warehouse exploded." Nami told him. "We didn't think you would make it." She admitted reluctantly, her voice low and unsure.

"Luffy?" Zoro pushed himself upright, ignoring the aches and twinges of pain that told him that wasn't the best of ideas. The sudden pounding of his head echoed that statement. He felt for all the world like he gotten The Grandline's Largest Hangover. But he had to know if Luffy was hurt…

Nami jumped up from her seat and tried to push the larger man back down. She would have had more success moving a mountain. "Hey, you just woke up, don't strain yourself!" She ordered hastily. "Luffy's fine! He was pretty banged up at first, but he's had plenty of time to recover."

Zoro processed her statement with some confusion, giving in and sinking half-heartedly back into the overstuffed mattress. Gazing critically at his own wounds, Zoro noticed a definite change from the way they had looked last he checked. The smaller cuts were pretty much healed and many of his larger wounds already had their stitches removed. Only in the areas where he had been shot were did the wounds still feet raw and irritated beneath the bandages. Zoro blinked. Sure, he was a fast healer, but this….

"How long was I out?"

Nami looked down at the floorboards and her expression became shadowed. "Nearly two weeks. We've already made port in the next island after Black Feather. We set sail from there just this morning and now we're finally on our way to Alabasta."

Zoro's head shot up. "I was out that long?" he exclaimed, stunned. "Did the antidote not work?" _Well, of course it worked_, his mind supplied him, _or else you wouldn't even be here_. But, still…

"Chopper's antidote worked fine. There was just some…complications."

Zoro's eyebrows rose but the look on Nami's face clearly told him that she didn't want to talk about it. And for once, Zoro decided not to push her. Glancing around idly, the swordsman spotted his clothes on a small stool next to the bed where he sat. Slightly curious, Zoro took a quick peek beneath his sheets.

Well, he was still naked. That hadn't changed. Zoro snorted. Flinging the covers off himself, Zoro hurriedly—if not very steadily—slipped on his pants. He didn't plan on staying in this bed one minute more than he had to. He had lain around enough. Shit, he'd have to double his workout routine just to make up for his two weeks of sloth. Muttering to himself, the swordsman prepared to get out of this dimly lit room and back into the fresh air of the sea.

Zoro's strength suddenly gave out, and he found himself half-reclining on the bed with his legs dangling over the edge, looking for all the world like the picture of relaxation. Trying not to show how out of breath he was, Zoro glared at his remaining clothes. The shirt, he decided, could wait, as he didn't relish the idea of anything constantly brushing against his wounds anyway. And his boots weren't really necessary onboard the ship, he told himself, trying to scavenge the shreds of his pride

To his surprise, Nami hadn't jeered at him, nor exploded angrily about her delicate feminine sensibilities. Indeed, the redhead seemed to not have even blinked; her eyes staring blankly somewhere over the swordsman's left shoulder. Zoro frowned darkly. He had had quite enough of everyone acting all batty around him.

"What the hell is going on?" he demanded.

Nami's attention turned back to the swordsman with a start. Lowering her eyes, she apologized distractedly. Zoro growled.

"Is everyone going to act like this?"

A twitch appeared on Nami's face, signifying a minute return to her normal self. "You almost died." She spoke slowly, as if to control her anger.

"So?" Zoro didn't see what the big deal was. "It's not like it hasn't happened before."

"Don't you stop and think how that makes everyone feel?" Nami shouted, jerking up angrily. "Do you even care about the hell you put us through? We're a damn team, Zoro! So why do you insist on doing everything on your own?"

"Look, you guys wouldn't have stood a chance against Uragi…" Zoro growled out, his eyes dark. Nami was practically fuming.

"Oh, really? I dimly recall us running him off why you were busy bleeding to death from a half dozen freaking bullet wounds! We may not be monsters of strength like you and Luffy but we aren't helpless either!"

"I was trying to protect you!" Zoro shouted, exasperated. Sure, he wasn't expecting any thanks, but this….

"Protect yourself!" Nami screamed. "Vivi wouldn't eat for days after you got dragged back to the ship! Usopp wouldn't talk! Chopper's been crying every day! Sanji actually burned the soup! They were all that damn worried about you!"

Zoro stared blankly at her, not knowing what to say. Studying the swordsman's silent form, Nami suddenly deflated, her anger vanishing with a sigh.

"Even I couldn't concentrate," Nami rubbed at her forehead as if remembering a painful migraine. "I got us turned around twice in the same day. And Luffy…" Nami's tone was softer now. "Luffy wouldn't stop believing in you. He sat in this chair every day and talked to you, without a care in the world. Even though you were barely breathing! He kept asking you to wake up so you two could play…" Nami's lower lip trembled.

Zoro stared down at his lap evasively. He never was good with crying. The swordsman sighed. He supposed he never really bothered to think of the rest of the crew's reactions to his own injuries. He had just figure that they knew he was strong enough to work past them. Well, most of the time.

Floundering in a sea of failing self-expression, Zoro searched himself for some way to explain his often-suicidal seeming actions. The green-haired man didn't think he was all that complicated of a person. Surely he could make at least one of his friends understand his motivations.

"I live for my ambition." Zoro muttered finally, the words being pulled out of his mouth like a rotten tooth. "I will become the strongest swordsman in the world, because I made a promise."

Nami absorbed his words silently.

"But, as I started sailing with everyone, I began to realize…. There are some things more important than my own ambition. Helping Vivi save her people, for instance. That's way more important than my just being the strongest. But, to protect those things; my friends' important things, _my_ important things…." Zoro trailed off awkwardly. He ran a callused hand through his short-cropped hair, embarrassed that he had said that much.

Glancing as his companion's face, he saw that Nami only seemed half convinced.

Before him sat a girl who knew about sacrifice; she had learned it from an early age. Her mother had died protecting her and her sister. She herself had sacrificed her own freedom in order to free her village. She had nearly died from a deadly illness just because of the tears and worry from a certain blue-haired princess. But Zoro knew he would have done the same.

Nami hated the idea of sacrifice but at the same time, she thought nothing of sacrificing herself in the defense of others, when they are helpless to do so. Zoro understood. Even though they fought like cats and dogs, the two of them were not all that different, Zoro admitted grudgingly. Maybe that is why he said what he said next.

"Look. I made another promise. This one to Luffy. I ain't gonna die. He won't let me, because I promised. No one's got to worry about me. So stop your damn blubbering already."

Nami stared at Zoro incredulously. This man actually thought a mere promise could keep Death away? Really, she was sailing with a bunch of idiots!

But, looking at the resolution in the swordsman's eyes, she found herself starting to believe him. If anyone could achieve such a thing, it would be this guy. Slowly, the navigator summoned up a wavering smile.

"So…" Zoro cleared his throat idly as he scratched at an imaginary itch on his nose. "Where the hell are my swords?"

Nami rolled her eyes. It seems as though that had been as comforting as Roronoa Zoro got. Nami's smile widened ruefully as she pointed to the foot of the bed. Men. They really were a bunch of testosterone fueled, emotional invalids.

Zoro stared at his katanas, his eyes instantly zooming in upon Wadou. The white-sheathed sword gleamed at him as if welcoming him home. Zoro found himself touching the hilt reassuringly.

"I was afraid they hadn't survived the explosion." He murmured, his fingers trailing along the braided hilt.

The navigator smirked. "You can thank Sanji for them later. He wouldn't let us leave until he had dove into that swamp and found all three of them. Said you'd be impossible to live with if we didn't find them. It took him well into the afternoon and he ended up getting a bit of a cold afterwards, but…."

Zoro grunted, for some reason not surprised by the blonde's actions. "Well. I guess I owe that bastard one, then." His words were unusually soft considering their subject matter.

An eerie chuckle filled the room and Zoro felt a sudden chill race up his spin as the temperature of the room seemed to drop several degrees. Turning a wide-eyed stare towards his companion, Zoro was alarmed to see shadows coalescing around her diminutive form. Nami smiled craftily at him, her eyes mere pinpricks that seemed burned into Zoro's very soul.

"Speaking of owing people…" Nami purred as her smile turned sharp. An abacus was suddenly pulled out of nowhere and seemed to emit an unholy glow. "If I calculated correctly, I'd say you owe me about…"

Beads shifted position with lightning speed. Zoro listen to their faint clacking with a growing sense of dread.

"Five million Beli." Nami ended with relish, as if she could practically taste the enormous figure.

"What?" Zoro's eyes nearly bulged out of his sockets.

"I rounded up." Nami stated brightly as she flashed an innocent set of pearly whites.

"I—You—Gah!" It seemed as though Zoro's tongue had frozen to the roof of his mouth. "Why the hell do I owe you that much for?" Zoro exploded, suddenly feel as if he would pass out, so oppressed did he feel against the redhead's surging demonic aura.

"Be thankful I didn't have Sanji's job." The abacus disappeared from view and Nami pushed herself to her feet. Patting the swordsman's green head as she passed, the redhead headed for the door. "Just call it 'blood money'." She murmured evilly. "And we'll leave it at that."

Zoro sputtered angrily, about to tell the blasted woman where she could go, when a soft voice called out from behind the room's entrance.

"Mr. Sanji, what are you doing up against the door like that? Is something wrong?"

Raising a delicate eyebrow, Nami quickly yanked the door open and a certain blonde chef nearly fell into the room. Catching his balance, Sanji pivoted gracefully around, skillfully keeping himself from spilling one drop of the soup he carried. The cook coughed lightly, trying to look for all the world like he hadn't been listening in on their conversation. Nonplused, Vivi followed him into the room with hesitant steps.

"Ah, Miss Nami." Sanji murmured suavely, flicking a wayward strand of hair behind his ear. "I have taken the liberty of preparing a treat for you. It's waiting up in the kitchen for your delicate lips to grace it with a taste."

Vivi stood silently in the blonde's shadow, trying discreetly to peer around and check on their injured companion's condition. The princess caught a quick glance at Zoro's profile, before Sanji's body –which seemed to be predominantly made up of sharp angles stuffed into a tailored suit-- blocked her vision once more.

Nami sent a quick reassuring smile to Vivi before switching her attention properly back to Sanji's posturing. "Thank you Sanji dear," she smiled encouragingly. "But I doubt it'll be there for long with those bumble-heads up on deck."

Sanji waved her concern away easily as he sat the bowl of broth on a table a fair distance away from its intended recipient. "Luffy's glued to his spot on the ram's head and Usopp is prattling on to Chopper about how he 'personally saved the day even though he was close to death'." The blonde rolled his eyes in a long-suffering gesture.

Nami nodded sympathetically before clearing her throat delicately as she shifted her eyes pointedly over to where Zoro still sat. Like magic, Sanji's whole demeanor seemed to stiffen and he turned swiftly towards Vivi. "I'd be happy to make something for you as well, Princess." He cooed, pointedly ignoring the silent figure in the corner.

Vivi met Nami's eyes over the cook's shoulder and smiled awkwardly. "Maybe later, Mr. Sanji. For now I think you should see to Mr. Bushido's needs. It has been quite a while since he last ate, isn't that right?"

Zoro, who had watched this drama for quite long enough, finally spoke up. "Mr. Prissy doesn't need to trouble himself on my account." He bit out, slipping into his well-worn role as the blonde's official antagonist. "I think I can manage to feed myself."

The swordsman watched as Sanji's face darkened into a bizarre purplish-red color. But, surprisingly, Sanji would not rise up to the bait. Still not looking over at Zoro, the blonde inclined his head towards the girls respectively. "You heard the cabbage head. Now, if you excuse me, I think your dessert might need guarding after all." Shoulders stiff, Sanji headed for the door.

"Hey, cook!" Zoro called out. Sanji paused, but did not answer.

Zoro studied Sanji's back thoughtfully, suddenly mindful of what Nami had --and _hadn't_ told him. Something must have made the blonde suddenly decide to change the boundaries of their roughshod friendship. The distance between the two seemed noticeably wider than before. Zoro mouth pulled into a frown, but then just as quickly transformed into a barely repressed smirk.

After all, who say Zoro had to abide by these newly imposed walls?

"Thanks." He said simply. The words didn't come out in a grumble, or even reluctantly. It was just an earnest expression of gratitude.

Surprised, Sanji actually turned around. He stared at the swordsman for a long moment, a million thoughts racing behind his eyes. Zoro watched carefully as those freshly built invisible walls cracked. A slight, almost invisible smile curved across Sanji's lip.

"Eat your soup, bastard." Sanji muttered and Zoro watched in satisfaction as the wall crumbled.

Sanji gracefully fled the room. Nami started to follow him, but paused.

"Don't take it wrong if he avoids you for awhile." Nami looked like she wanted to say more but left her statement at that. Zoro pretended to look indifferent.

"Are you kidding?" he scoffed. "I'll think I won the lottery."

Nami's look told him she easily saw through that lie. Patting Vivi on the arm, the redhead had one foot out the door before stopping again. This time, a crafty smirk skittered over her lips.

"Oh. And I forgot to tell you." Nami stated sweetly. "The room's an additional four thousand a night. If I were you, I wouldn't get too comfortable."

Looking around once more, Zoro realized that he wasn't in Chopper's operating room, nor was he in the men's quarters. In fact, this looked suspiciously like…

Zoro jumped off of the bed as if had turned into a layer of hot coals. He should have known better. There was only one bed on this ship. The slightly citrus scented quilts and feather down pillows were not items that were lavished on men, who normally made do with a hammock and a scratch scrap of blanket. Who's stupid idea had this been? He felt as though he was covered in…girl germs. Zoro shuddered. Unbidden, figures began floating through his head.

Four thousand Beli a night. Times by thirteen or so. Add five million…

Shit.

That woman really was going to hell.

Zoro finished his soup quickly, brooding (standing--not touching anything he didn't have to) in the corner as his ears were filled with the buzz of pleasant conversion from Vivi. The broth warmed his body and quickly killed the gnawing pain of hunger that had settled, unnoticed, in his chest. It hadn't tasted bad either, damn Love Cook.

Eager to remove himself from this den of evil, Zoro dropped the bowl onto the table and buckled his swords to his belt. Feeling awkward, Zoro hastily excused himself from the Alabasta princess.

"Luffy's up on deck." The blue-haired girl smiled kindly.

Zoro froze, suddenly reluctant to face the rubber-boy. These past few days --err…two weeks past-- were filled with events that could have caused a lot of friction between captain and first mate. He had done and said a lot of hurtful things. Did Luffy really understand why?

If Sanji reacted like he had upon Zoro's waking, then how would Luffy? Zoro's chest tightened at the thought. All seemed fine and dandy back when he had last been conscious, but now that Luffy has had the time to think things over—assuming he had thought about it at all—would his feelings have changed?

Zoro felt unnaturally hesitant and briefly wondered if it was worth a couple extra thousand Beli to hide out here for a little while longer. There is something to be said for dens of evil.

"Mr. Bushido?" a soft voice interrupted his thoughts.

Zoro looked down into calm blue eyes and felt his anxiety ease a bit.

"He's been waiting for you."

And for Zoro, that one sentence was enough.

He nodded once to Vivi and was about to leave when he spotted a scrap of fabric nearly hidden by the folds of his discarded shirt. Zoro reached down and pulled out his bandanna, staring at the black material, now free of any trace of blood. But Zoro remembered vividly the dark splotches that had covered the headpiece, as it had rested over the sweat-soaked locks of his captain.

Zoro's bare feet quickly crossed the heavily carpeted floor, taking him with long strides into the hall located in the heart of the ship. Rotating crisply into a right turn, Zoro's legs climbed the solid wooden stairs two at a time, as he moved towards the blindingly bright light of day. Bursting through the open hatch, the sun beat down upon Roronoa Zoro for the first time in half a month.

Zoro steps halted then —and only briefly-- as he squinted and blinked and willed his eyes to adjust to the change in luminance.

Heart hammering in his chest, Zoro moved on, up the deck, past the mast, towards the fore of the ship. Towards the red vest he could have spotted a kilometer away. Towards the only man had chosen to follow. The only man who's every command he would obey. Zoro's steps slowed as he approached that man: his captain.

Luffy sat cross-legged atop the ram's head, his shoulders slumped slightly forward in response to the harshly blowing wind. A deep frown was etched across the rubber-boy's face, making him seem much older than Zoro himself. Luffy stared intently out to sea, as if searching for answers to some monumental question.

Zoro had stopped a meter or two away from the boy, not wanting to disturb such obviously intense thoughts. His earring tinkled together like wind chimes, too loud in his own ears. Even then, Zoro figured his approach wouldn't be noticed, due to the rush of wind and the natural stealth of his own unclad steps. But the dark-haired boy before him suddenly straightened, like a deer that had suddenly caught the scent of a predator. Zoro's throat tightened reflexively.

Luffy's face turned around towards him, his expression blank. It was impossible to read that face for any hint of his captain's thoughts. Even Luffy's normally expressive eye reflected nothing but Zoro's own distorted figure.

Zoro stared deeply into those dark eyes and thought about all of the things that he wanted to say. All the apologies and explanations and promises that he wanted to make. Hell, if he could open up to someone like Nami, surely he could talk to his best friend, right? Bracing himself, Zoro opened his mouth.

"Yo." The word was accompanied by a half-hearted wave. Zoro winced at his own actions. _That sure was prolific_, he mentally cursed himself.

Luffy's mouth suddenly stretched into a wide smile. That smile that had drawn Zoro to Luffy's side at their first encounter, like a moth drawn to a flame. Regardless of the threat he had made if his captain were to make him forget his ambition, before him sat the one person in whose name he would take on Hell itself.

"Yo." Luffy said simply, interrupting his first mate's train of thought.

Ripping Zoro from his deep thoughts was like pulling him back from the edge of a precipice; the experience left him gasping. Zoro stared numbly at his captain. The rubber-boy's eyes sparkled with life as he tilted his head back in laughter, which caused the straw hat to fly off his head and into the air. Zoro's hand reached up swiftly and caught the headpiece before it could travel off the ship.

With a mock frown, Zoro stalked over to the other boy and stuffed the wayward hat back on top his head. Luffy stuck his tongue out petulantly before breaking into chuckles once more. Zoro struggled to keep his expression firm without much success. As always, his companion's good moods were contagious. Luffy's childlike laughter grew stronger and, unable to help himself, Zoro found himself joining in. The swordsman's hastily prepared speech fluttered out of his head with the spray of the ocean and the strong breeze…and the light from a beaming smile.

Maybe it was for the best. Maybe the two didn't even need words after all. Maybe, just being there, together, was enough.

VVooENDooVV


End file.
